CUBIC Impact Brief: Preventing Child Marriage and Adolescent Pregnancy in Petauke District, Zambia

CUBIC collaborated with Save the Children Zambia to apply behavioral science to one of the key pathways to preventing child marriage and adolescent pregnancy – keeping girls in school. In Petauke District, Zambia, the project worked with girls in Grades 5-9 and their caregivers to understand the behavioral factors influencing school retention and to develop a practical intervention around key transition points in girls’ education. Following formative research, CUBIC and Save the Children Zambia designed and piloted a three-session workshop series. A feasibility study showed promising changes in perceived social norms, strong support for education-first futures, and high levels of engagement, while also highlighting important lessons for future scale-up and impact evaluation.