[UN BeSci Week] Behavioural Science to Promote Gender Equality through Strengthened Marriage Registration

Civil registration and legal identity are key to the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. Marriage and divorce registration, in particular, are critical to promote the rights of women and girls as they can guard against early, forced and child marriage, promote gender equality within the marital unions, and empower women by securing inheritance and parental guardianship rights. Yet marriage and divorce registration are often neglected areas of civil registration. This event highlights gender norms and behavioural factors that undermine registration of marriages and divorces. It showcases recent field research by UNFPA in Benin, Burkina Faso and Jordan and discusses how the resulting insights are guiding civil registration system strengthening efforts.