EFFORTS to stop child marriage in the Bangsamoro region should move beyond information campaigns and awareness drives, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said, urging the use of culturally grounded approaches that resonate with local values and beliefs.
In an October 2025 report, Unicef said that while Republic Act 11596, or the Anti-Child Marriage Law, has made such unions illegal across the Philippines, a lot of people, particularly in Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, still see the law as contradictory with people’s beliefs, particularly in Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.
‘Many view the law as conflicting with tradition or religion, not just as unfamiliar,’ Unicef said in its report Understanding Factors Driving Child, Early, and Forced Marriage and Unions (CEFMU). ‘Efforts should frame the law as protective and values-aligned.’
The group said that simply ‘telling people’ about the law has a limited effect unless communities see how it aligns with their moral and faith-based principles.
For many families, it noted, early marriage is still seen as a way to avoid haram, or acts forbidden in Islam, such as premarital relationships, as well as a way out of poverty.
Citing data from the Bangsamoro Women Commission, Unicef said around 88,600 girls in the region were married before turning 18. Nationally, one in six girls marries before legal age, placing the Philippines 12th in the world in the number of child marriages.
A separate survey by Plan International and the Women’s Refugee Commission found that for every 100 girls in the Bangsamoro region, 15 marry before 18 and two before 15, which are figures that remain far higher than the national average.
Unicef said that despite the law, enforcement remains weak and no cases have yet been officially prosecuted. This lack of visible consequence, it added, fuels the public perception that early marriage is still acceptable.
To shift mindsets, Unicef recommended that messages about the law be co-created with communities, religious councils and local leaders, to make child protection as consistent with Islamic and cultural teachings.
It also urged authorities to share stories of families who delayed marriage and benefited from doing so.
Unicef further called for stronger coordination among local government units, barangays, faith-based organizations and social workers to clarify the law’s intent and improve reporting systems.
‘Social workers, in particular, play a vital role in case management, referrals, and survivor support,’ the agency said. ‘Engaging youth advocates and community leaders in local monitoring and norm-shifting efforts will be key to sustained enforcement.’
As next steps, Unicef recommended co-developing a social and behavior change strategy for the Bangsamoro region.
This will include an implementation guide and monitoring plan to track community response, along with future studies that include Indigenous Peoples, children with disabilities and LGBTQ+ youth.