Abstract

Introduction This study evaluates the effects of a three-year conditional cash transfer program on educational outcomes and child marriage among Lebanese, Syrian and Palestinian adolescent girls in Lebanon.

Methods In the third year of the program, survey data were collected from households receiving a cash transfer conditional on adolescent girls’ school attendance and a comparison group of households. We conducted descriptive analysis and logistic regression models comparing outcomes, at endline, between girls in the intervention and comparison groups. Survey data on marriage and school dropout were also collected from all households of girls who were ever enrolled in the intervention or comparison groups over the three years of the program. Survival analysis was used to compare the transition to marriage and school dropout among girls who received cash transfers for different durations.

Results Among year three participants, receiving cash transfers was associated with improved educational and attitudinal outcomes, but not reductions in early marriage. Comparing all program participants, receipt of two or more years of cash transfers was associated with significant reductions in the risk of early marriage but receipt of cash for one year only was not. Each additional year of cash receipt was associated with reductions in the risk of school dropout.

Conclusion Our findings point to the promise of cash for education as an approach to improving school retention and reducing early marriage among adolescent girls in humanitarian settings, provided that cash transfers can be implemented for a sufficient duration of time.

Implications and contributions This is one of the first studies to evaluate the impacts of a CCT program on early marriage in a humanitarian setting. Leveraging longitudinal data, our findings provide evidence on the promise of cash conditional on schooling to improve school retention and reduce early marriage among conflict-affected adolescent girls.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Clinical Trial

NA

Funding Statement

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Author Declarations

I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained.

Yes

The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below:

This study received ethics approval from the American University in Beirut Institutional Review Board (IRB# SBS-2024-0331).

I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals.

Yes

I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance).

Yes

I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable.

Yes

Data Availability

Upon acceptance, the data will be uploaded onto Figshare

List of abbreviationsAYAcademic yearsCCTConditional cash transfersMENAMiddle East and North AfricaNGONon-Governmental Organization