In 2019, the Women’s Refugee Commission and Plan International launched the Child Marriage in Humanitarian Settings Initiative. It is a phased approach to delivering evidence-based and practice-informed programming to prevent and respond to child marriage in humanitarian settings. The initiative consists of girl-centered, community-based research in communities affected by conflict and displacement in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), Philippines and in communities experiencing extreme food insecurity in Chiredzi, Zimbabwe. The research aimed to investigate the needs and priorities of crisis-affected adolescents with the overall goal of developing a tailored girl-led, community-grounded approach to child marriage prevention and response that transforms girls and their communities from beneficiaries to engaged and empowered leaders.

This report documents the research process, findings, and key recommendations from the study conducted in the Philippines.