Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine Omani patterns of female nuptiality, including the timing of marriage and determinants of age at a woman's first marriage. The study utilised data from the 2000 Oman National Health Survey. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate statistical methods, including logistic regression analysis, were used for data analysis. One of the most important aspects of the marriage pattern in Oman is the high prevalence of consanguineous marriages, as more than half (52%) of the total marriages in Oman are consanguineous. First cousin unions are the most common type of consanguineous unions, constituting 39% of all marriages and 75% of all consanguineous marriages. About 11% of the marriages are polygynous. Early and universal marriage is still highly prevalent in Oman. Three-quarters (75%) of married women respondents aged 20-44 years were married by age 20, with their median age at their first wedding being 16 years. However, women's average age upon marriage is gradually increasing. The change is especially apparent in more recent marriages or among younger cohorts of women, and for certain socio-cultural groups. Multivariate analysis identified female education, age cohort, residential status, region of residence, types of marriage, and employment as strong predictors of Omani women's age at marriage. The growing number of young adults, accompanied by their tendency to delay marriage, may have serious demographic, social, economic, and political ramifications for Oman, highlighting the need to understand the new situation of youth, their unique characteristics, and their interests and demands. Culturally appropriate policies need to be implemented to address the issues and challenges of unmarried young adults.
Highlights
The purpose of this study was to examine Omani patterns of female nuptiality, including the timing of marriage and determinants of age at a woman’s first marriage
The survey was conducted by the Ministry of Health (MOH) of Oman with technical support from United Nations (UN) organisations such as the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the UN Statistics Division
The results indicate that marriage is universal in Oman, as by age 50 almost all women (99.4%) are or have been married at least once
Summary
Abstract: Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine Omani patterns of female nuptiality, including the timing of marriage and determinants of age at a woman’s first marriage. Hashemi gives the legal minimum age at which boys and girls can marry as 18 years.[3] In the past, the primary role of women was to bear and raise children Today, this role is still central, but has been modified somewhat given the increasing participation of women in higher education and in the labour force.[4]. Families are undergoing major changes as new patterns of marriage and family formation emerge across the Arab world.[5] Arab and Muslim countries of the region have traditionally been characterised by women marrying in their teens. In Oman, the singulate mean age at marriage (SMAM) for females increased from 19.2 years in 1988 to 23.5 years in 2000.11,12 More Arab women are staying single longer or not marrying at all.[5,8] All of these changes are introducing new issues and challenges into Arab societies
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