In September 2016, the Asia-Pacific Regional Office of United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA APRO) and the UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia (UNICEF ROSA) hosted a three-day expert group meeting to examine the evidence around programming and policies to end child marriage in South Asia. The meeting convened representatives from the host organizations, as well as UNFPA, UNICEF and UN Women country offices in South Asia and surrounding countries, experts from academia and representatives from organizations implementing programmes in the region. Presentations touched on key drivers of child marriage and promising interventions to address the practice in South Asia, based on available evaluation and research.

 

The EGM is part of the Global Programme to Accelerate Action to End Child Marriage, which represents a collaboration between UNICEF and UNFPA to strengthen critical institutions and systems, deliver quality services, set the stage for attitudinal and norms change, and to engage a wide array of actors - governments, private sector, and especially young people, as agents of change.