Intergenerational Associations between Maternal Early Marriage and Child Labour in West and Central Africa.

AbstractGirl-child marriage has been linked to intergenerational impacts on offspring’s health and educational outcomes, but it is unknown if adverse consequences extend to children’s exposure to harmful work. This study investigates the association between maternal experience of child marriage and children’s exposure to child labour across 11 countries in West and Central Africa. Using nationally representative data from the sixth round of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), we examine associations between maternal child marriage (before age 18) and children’s exposure to categories of child labour: economic activity above age-defined thresholds, hazardous household chores, and employment in hazardous industries or occupations. We also explore the relationship between the timing of marriage and children’s work intensity, measured as total hours worked per week. Generalised linear models and double robust estimators were employed, with analyses stratified by gender and country. We find that maternal child marriage is consistently associated with increased odds of child labour, particularly in hazardous industries or occupations. These effects are strongest for girls and persist even after adjusting for maternal education and household wealth. Country-specific regressions reveal heterogeneity in our findings, with the strongest associations between maternal child marriage and child labour observed in Nigeria. Our findings suggest that maternal child marriage is likely associated with a higher risk of next-generation exposure to child labour, especially for daughters and in hazardous occupations and industries. While preventive efforts to end child marriage remain vital, supporting early married mothers in high burden settings can help mitigate the transmission of intergenerational consequences.Keywords:Child marriage; Child labour; Empowerment; Gender inequality; Sub-Saharan Africa; Life course