When there are no records of women and girls: the ripple effect

The quality of a country’s vital statistics has a bearing on women and girls, who are more vulnerable to poverty, early marriage, and exploitation. Without an effective civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) system, many women cannot gain access to social protection, healthcare, or economic and social opportunities. These negative effects of being unregistered can extend to a woman’s children, who often depend on their mother for access to healthcare, education, and protection. Birth, marriage, and death registration are interdependent: if one is missing, it is more difficult to access the other. This snowball effect makes women more vulnerable, which only heightens the barriers that prevent them from registering their life events. It is a vicious cycle that can pervade their lives and those of their children.