How droughts and gender inequality worsen forced child marriage in Kenya

In Kenya, climate change has not only intensified droughts but also deepened inequality, fueling a rise in child marriages. Dry land and dying livestock have left families desperate for survival—sometimes forcing them to marry off their daughters in exchange for camels and goats. These girls, in turn, become mothers, bearing the same burden of feeding and providing for their children.

“My screams went unheard”

Dukano Kelle from the Marsabit region was only 15 when her family forced her into marriage. Now 34 and a mother of five, she struggles to support her family. Due to the drought, Dukano must travel for hours under the scorching sun to fetch water from a well—often finding it low. Nudging her donkey along, she makes this grueling journey twice a week while her husband remains in the village.

She said in an interview with Al Jazeera:

“The scarcity of water is becoming more of a problem all of the time…I am really scared that we will not be able to feed the children, and we will never be able to afford medicine if they become sick. We have no money; we rely completely on goats and bartering.”

Dukano is just one of thousands of women affected by Kenya’s droughts. Wato Gato from the village of Bubisa was also 15 when her parents instructed her to find pasture for their goat herd and stay there until the rain came. She recalls:

“I was forced to take the animals very far because the drought was so bad. There was a man there, and many days he ended up grazing his goats near mine. No one else was around….One day, he came up to me, and even though I tried to push him off, telling him I wasn’t interested, he assaulted me. I screamed, but because I was alone, my screams went unheard.”

Months later, Wato learned she was pregnant and was kicked out of her home by her siblings for bringing shame upon the family. She never confronted her attacker. Today, she has two children and survives by selling phone credits and camel milk at the Ethiopian border.

Child Marriage: An endemic issue

Despite Kenya’s 2014 Marriage Act setting the legal marriage age at 18, child marriage remains widespread. According to Girls Not Brides, 12.5% of Kenyan girls marry or enter a union before turning 18, and 2.2% marry before age 15. The belief that girls are inferior to boys drives this practice.

Elise Nalbandian, advocacy advisor at Oxfam in Africa says the droughts have worsened inequalities in Kenya. She explains:

“As primary caregivers and providers, women and girls in one of Kenya’s driest regions are facing the greatest impacts of climate change…Women and girls must walk further to collect water and fuel – and are often the last to eat.”

Kenya is not alone. In 2017, the Nepalese government raised the minimum age for marriage from 18 to 20, sending a strong message to their conservative society that women can thrive if they are not forced into marriage at a young age. However, 35% of Nepalese girls still marry before 18, and 6% before 15.

Due to the remaining prevalence, human rights groups in Nepal are now fighting a parliamentary subcommittee’s recommendation to lower the marriage age back to 18. Advocates, including women’s rights organizations and teenage girls interviewed by Al Jazeera, argue that this proposal protects men rather than promoting gender equality.

Join the fight

An estimated 650 million women and girls worldwide were married as children. While gender inequality remains the leading cause of child marriage, climate change-induced disasters are worsening the crisis.

Forced child marriage is a severe human rights violation, robbing young girls of their autonomy and condemning them to lives of suffering. Despite global efforts to end child marriage, weak enforcement and legal rollbacks threaten progress. Join us in demanding that governments prioritize children’s rights and safety. Sign the petition today!