Multi-Country Analysis of Causes and Drivers of Child Marriage in Africa

Un Women East And Southern Africa Region

doi:10.7176/jcsd/49-06

Abstract

The research is funded and led by UN Women East and Southern Africa Regional Office. UN Women is the UN Agency dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. As a global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide. With a vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, UN Women works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security. UN Women also coordinates and promotes the UN system’s work in advancing gender equality, and in all deliberations and agreements linked to the 2030 Agenda. The entity works to position gender equality as fundamental to the Sustainable Development Goals, and a more inclusive world. It supports UN Member States as they set global standards for achieving gender equality and works with governments and civil society to design laws, policies, programmes and services needed to ensure that the standards are effectively implemented and truly benefit women and girls worldwide. It works globally to make the vision of the Sustainable Development Goals a reality for women and girls and stands behind women’s equal participation in all aspects of life. It has invested in its commitment to end all forms of violence including child marriage, Female Genital Mutilation and other harmful practices against women and girls across the globe. UN Women envisions a world where societies are free of gender-based discrimination, where women and men have equal opportunities, where the comprehensive economic and social development of women and girls is ensured so that they can lead the change that they want to see, where gender equality and women’s empowerment are achieved, and where women’s rights are upheld in all efforts to further development, human rights, peace and security. Abstract This paper is drawn from the findings and recommendations of the UN Women East and Southern Africa led Multi-Country Analytical Study of Legislation, Policies, Interventions and Cultural Practices on Child Marriage in Africa undertaken in 2018. The study focused on Africa as a continent but with a deeper lens on 10 study countries (Niger, Mali, Nigeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, DRC and Morocco) that are among those with the highest prevalence of child marriage on the continent despite their high-level national commitments to end child marriage. This paper focuses on the findings of the study, provides analysis, and draws some conclusions about the underlying causes and drivers of child marriage in Africa and in the study countries in particular. The underlying causes of child marriage are common across Africa, and they are anchored in patriarchal societies adhering to discriminatory gender norms that perpetuate gender inequality. This leads to discrimination against women and girls in all spheres of life, including social, cultural, and economic. It forms part of the structural and systemic determinants of the children’s, girls’ and women’s ecology and how they are treated and valued in the society, both in the public and private sphere. Keywords: Child marriage, UN Women, causes and drivers, women and girls, children, culture, religion, society, families, Africa, Niger, Mali, Nigeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, DRC and Morocco DOI : 10.7176/JCSD/49-06 Publication date :June 30 th 2019

Highlights

1.1 The Global State of Child Marriage Among the human rights of children stipulated by the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) are: the right to survive; the right to develop to their fullest; the right to protection from harmful practices, abuse and exploitation; and the right to participate fully in family, cultural and social life
The first layer, enablers, consists of factors that form the structural ecology within which child marriage is either enabled and facilitated or condoned and justified
These enablers include structural gender inequality built on a patriarchal system of beliefs that defines the position and status of women and girls as subordinate to men and boys

Summary

Introduction

Background and Context1.1 The Global State of Child Marriage Among the human rights of children stipulated by the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) are: the right to survive; the right to develop to their fullest; the right to protection from harmful practices, abuse and exploitation; and the right to participate fully in family, cultural and social life. In Ethiopia, religious values lay great emphasis on a girl’s purity and virginity and a girl and her family are stigmatized if they are seen as ‘impure’ or ‘too old’.36 Primary data established that the customs and traditions of Niger are deeply entrenched and closely integrated into the Islamic religion which is practiced by 90% of the population.

Results

Conclusion