Linda Geyl Baker, Director of the Desmond Tutu Foundation and co-author of the research, noted that the number of marriages contracted in communities where child marriage is prevalent has decreased. However, this does not mean that the problem has disappeared: "This does not mean that child marriage has disappeared. We are still facing the pandemic of child marriage, and its aftermath will be felt for many decades to come," she emphasized.
Baker also noted that in the context of COVID-19, the situation with child marriage has become even more serious. Due to school closures, limited mobility and economic hardships, girls have become more vulnerable to being forced to drop out of school and get married.
Many countries in Africa, such as Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi, have implemented measures to prevent child marriage in the context of the pandemic, including expanding support programs for families and training specialists in the field of assistance for victims of violence.
