Child marriage is defined as any formal marriage or informal union where at least one of the contracting parties or both are under 18 years of age. This practice occurs throughout the world and is affected by gender inequalities since it is 5 times more common in girls than in boys.

In The Gambia, a National Strategic Child Protection Plan was launched in 2016 that centralized the issue of child marriage as a problem to be addressed due to its high rates. So, in this year the legal age for marriage was raised from 18 years and child marriage now is considered a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison, both for the parents and the spouse of the minor. However, despite efforts to decrease the prevalence of the practice through legislation, it remains common in the territory, where 36% of women in their 20 to 24 years have been married underage (UNFPA-UNICEF, 2018).

This map has been designed as an interactive online tool, available internationally and with the possibility of being updated periodically. To elaborate it, Wassu Gambia Kafo developed and administered KAP surveys (Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices) on child marriage in The Gambia, so it offers a visual representation of the distribution of the results by region of residence. Age, gender and ethnic group were other criteria chosen in the investigation and, to support this visual map, an article with mixed methods analysis has been prepared.

On the other hand, the map includes a directory of entities that work or have worked on the issue in the Gambian context. This section aims to give visibility to the main social actors, promoting networking and the generation of synergies.