MANILA, Philippines – In January 2022, the ban on child marriages finally became law in the Philippines, but this does not necessarily mean the practice will be eradicated right away. Cultural and socio-economic conditions prevail that make these possible.

In the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), adolescent girls have had to undergo the now-illegal practice of child marriage because of family, community, and environmental pressures, a new study found.

Plan International, the Women’s Refugee Commission, and Transforming Fragilities said in their study, released Wednesday, March 30, that child marriage in BARMM is rooted in gender and socio-economic equality, limiting young girls’ freedoms to make their own life decisions.