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01 / 05
Child Marriages Plunged When Girls Stayed in School in Nigeria

Nature | Child Abuse & Bullying

Child Marriages Plunged When Girls Stayed in School in Nigeria

“An educational programme for young girls in northern Nigeria that involved local religious leaders massively reduced the number of child marriages, a study reported in Nature today has found…

In the first year of the programme, out-of-school girls were offered accelerated learning in reading, mathematics, life skills and business skills in ‘safe spaces’ dedicated to them. In the second year, the emphasis was on ensuring that the girls return to school. Parents were helped with the costs of school fees and uniforms, and girls continued to have access to tutoring and mentoring in the safe spaces, which were like after-school clubs. Those who did not return to school were offered vocational training to work in local shops.

What is new about this approach is that the researchers tested its effectiveness in a randomized control trial. The researchers enrolled 1,181 adolescent girls from 18 communities in the states of Borno, Kaduna and Kano who were both out of school and unmarried at the start of the programme. The communities were divided into nine pairs: one community of each pair participated in the programme while the other did not. The involvement of local leaders helped the programme to recruit almost all of the girls that met the inclusion criteria in each community, Abubakar says.

The trial took place between 2018 and 2020, and participants were surveyed at the beginning and at the end of the programme. By the final survey, 79% of the girls participating in the programme were still unmarried, versus about 14% in the group that did not participate. This corresponds to an 80% decrease in the likelihood of marriage during the study period, the researchers say.”

From Nature.

The Gleaner | Crime

Jamaica Celebrates Dramatic Nationwide Murder-Rate Decline

“Minister of National Security and Peace Dr Horace Chang says that after a massive slash in major crimes last year, Jamaicans are now set to reap a ‘peace dividend’, putting the benefits of safer communities at the forefront of the country’s progress.

He explained that this ‘peace dividend’ refers to the tangible social, economic, and developmental gains flowing directly to communities as crime declines, including safer streets, stronger families, expanded opportunities for young people, and an overall improved quality of life.

Chang underscored the important role Jamaican citizens have played in reducing crime, noting that the 2025 murder tally of 673 was the first time the figure fell below 700 since 1993.

Part of this impact has involved citizens providing tips to the police about criminal activities. While the number of tips has increased nearly tenfold over the past decade, most tipsters – 94 per cent – have not collected the promised reward…

The 673 murders recorded in 2025 represented a 40 per cent decline from the 1,139 recorded the previous year. This meant the homicide rate fell from 40 per 100,000 residents to 23.7 per 100,000.”

From The Gleaner.

New York City Police Department | Crime

Fewest Murders in Recorded History in NYC

“Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch today announced that the NYPD delivered the fewest murders in recorded history for the first four months of the year and the month of April. During the four-month stretch, there were 76 murders, shattering the previous record of 86 set in 2018. April also saw the fewest murders in recorded city history with 19, beating the previous record of 21 set in 2014 and 2017.

Shooting incidents and shooting victims are down double digits compared to last April with an 18.6% and 19.3% decline, respectively.

Major crime continued to fall in April, down 9.5% citywide. These historic reductions extended to the city’s public housing developments, where the NYPD delivered the safest start to any year in recorded history with the fewest murders, shooting incidents, shooting victims, and robberies.”

From New York City Police Department.

Arab News | Child Abuse & Bullying

Pakistan’s Punjab Passes Bill Banning Marriage Under 18

“Pakistan’s Punjab provincial assembly this week passed a new law banning marriage under the age of 18 for both boys and girls, introducing tougher penalties for child marriage, child trafficking and abuse linked to underage unions.

The Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Bill 2026 replaces older legislation dating back to 1929 and makes child marriage-related offenses cognizable, non-bailable and non-compoundable.

Pakistan has one of the highest rates of child marriage in South Asia, particularly in rural and low-income communities, with rights organizations warning that early marriage exposes girls to higher risks of domestic violence, school dropouts, early pregnancies and long-term health complications.

Sindh was the first province in Pakistan to set the minimum marriage age at 18 for both boys and girls through legislation passed in 2013, while other provinces have largely retained older legal frameworks setting the minimum age for girls at 16.”

From Arab News.