Looking at Conditional Cash Transfers as Solutions to Early Marriage: An Analysis from Evaluation Survey in North India

Priya Nanda, International Center for Research on Women (ICRW)
Nitin Datta, International Center for Research on Women (ICRW)
Priya Das, International Center for Research on Women (ICRW)
Anurag Mishra, International Center for Research on Women (ICRW)
Pranita Achyut, International Center for Research on Women (ICRW)
Rachna Patel, International Center for Research on Women (ICRW)

Multiple programs are underway in India to delay age of marriage of girls. A conditional cash transfer (CCTs) program in Haryana, Apni Beti Apna Dhan (ABAD), initiated in 1994, was first to develop a financial incentive to increase value and delay marriage of girls. The first cohort of girls turned 18 in 2012-13 making it opportune to study its impact. With a quasi-experimental design to compare the data from 1500 beneficiary and 1500 non-beneficiary households for two age cohorts of girls between 16-18 years and 14-15 years, we assessed the effect of participation on the age of marriage of girls and their educational attainment. The bivariate analysis shows significant association (p<0.001) between beneficiary status and marital status of the girls. Using a two stage instrument variable approach, controlling for all demographic variables, we find a significantly higher percentage of non- beneficiary girls married compared to beneficiary girls in 14-18 years.