Beyond Policy Commitments: System Fragility and Implementation Gaps In Child Marriage Prevention In Malawi during Climate-Related Disasters

Background and Purpose: Over the past decade, Malawi has made significant progress in establishing policies and programs aimed at ending child marriage, reflecting strong national and international commitments. Despite these efforts, the practice remains present in many communities, particularly in areas affected by climate-related disasters. Existing research has largely focused on structural drivers such as poverty and social norms (UNICEF, 2023), but less attention has been given to how prevention efforts are carried out in practice, especially when systems are under strain. Climate-related shocks can disrupt service delivery, alter institutional priorities, and expose underlying weaknesses in coordination (Pope et al., 2023). Understanding how these pressures affect implementation is critical, particularly as disasters become more frequent and prolonged in Malawi.

Methods: The analysis draws on qualitative interviews with 20 stakeholders involved in child marriage prevention during emergencies across Malawi. Participants were recruited using purposive and snowball sampling approaches (Creswell, 2009; Patton, 2015) and included representatives from non-governmental organizations, government institutions, and United Nations agencies operating at district and national levels. Many participants were engaged in program delivery and coordination during climate-related disasters, including floods and cyclones. Interviews were conducted in person and via Microsoft Teams and explored how prevention efforts are implemented and adapted in both routine and emergency contexts. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis (Nowell et al., 2017). Analysis was supported using MAXQDA, with attention to implementation processes, coordination dynamics, and system-level constraints.

Findings: Across interviews, participants described a recurring gap between policy intentions and what is feasible in practice. During disaster periods, attention often shifts toward immediate humanitarian needs such as food, shelter, and health services, which can reduce focus on child protection related issues such as child marriage. As a result, prevention activities may be delayed, scaled back, or implemented unevenly depending on available resources. Participants also pointed to coordination challenges, including overlapping mandates, inconsistent communication, and limited integration across sectors. Funding structures were another key factor, with some participants noting that donor priorities can influence program design in ways that restrict flexibility. At the same time, frontline workers often adapt interventions informally to meet local needs, highlighting both the limitations of existing systems and the importance of context-specific knowledge.

Conclusion and Implications: Improving child marriage prevention in Malawi requires closer attention to how interventions are implemented within real-world constraints, particularly during crisis conditions. Strengthening coordination across actors, supporting frontline practitioners, and designing programs that can adapt to changing environments may help address some of the challenges identified. There is also a need to create space for locally informed approaches, especially in contexts where external funding influences priorities. For social work, this highlights the importance of engaging with systems, institutions, and governance dynamics, while also recognizing the role of frontline actors in shaping how interventions are delivered and