Child Marriage In Niger: New Insights on Mental, Psychological and Other Indicators

Abstract

This research paper discusses one of the most prevalent issue of Child Marriage in Niger and concretely analyses if there were any societal norms and expectations associated with child marriage. It further examines the various forms of violence in domestic spaces across different regions of Niger and most importantly, provides a detailed study of the impact of mental health on child marriage. These aspects were studied by using quantitative and qualitative measures mostly using an interview method and secondary sources. The secondary sources included various files, documents, articles and previous research done on certain aspects of child marriage. It was found in the research that the societal norms played a crucial role in early marriage, they strongly believed in the ideals of upholding family honor and securing an honorable position in the society. Further, sexual and economic violence secured the highest rates of abuse and it was associated with lack of awareness and poor economic status in the society respectively. When analyzed about mental health, it was seen that anxiety, depression and a poor psychological well being had a positive correlation with the age of marriage. To conclude, despite certain limitations that this paper poses, it calls for effective working and implementation of policies and programmes by international organizations - calling for an end to early marriage in Niger.