Abstract
PurposeThis comparative study explores the connections between potential drivers of child marriage among girls at the individual, household, and community levels. It provides insight into the multilevel influences on child marriage with the goal of informing policies and programs aimed at eliminating the practice. MethodsWe conducted a secondary analysis of baseline data from the Building Evidence to Delay Child Marriage Project, a large study undertaken in Burkina Faso and Tanzania. For each country, using data on adolescent girls and parents, we ran a series of nested logistic regression models to identify factors associated with having ever been married among girls aged 15–17 years. ResultsFindings indicate that child marriage among girls is shaped by a combination of factors at multiple levels and that the weight of influencing factors varies by context. At the household level, parental relationships were influential in both countries, although in different ways. The influence of the community varied considerably between countries, holding more importance in Burkina Faso than in Tanzania. In Burkina Faso, the importance of schooling and existence of alternative pathways for girls beyond marriage appears crucial to reducing child marriage. Other factors strongly associated with child marriage include girls’ agency, the timing of girls’ sexual initiation, and community norms, specifically views on child marriage among fathers. In Tanzania, early sexual initiation among girls was common and strongly associated with marriage during childhood; parents’ fear of premarital sex and pregnancy also emerged as a significant factor.
Highlights
Our results indicate that child marriage among girls may be shaped by a combination of factors at multiple levels and that the weight of influencing factors varies across different contexts
The influence of the community on child marriage varied considerably between our two study countries: in Burkina Faso, community level factors appear to explain some variation in child marriage among girls, whereas in Tanzania, no significant associations were observed
Girls with no education were significantly more likely to be married than those with some schooling; the causal link between schooling and age at marriage is unknown, this correlation among girls is consistent with national patterns observed among women in Burkina Faso and Tanzania [24,25]
Summary
Child marriage, defined as a formal marriage or informal union occurring before the exact age of 18 years, is a practice that disproportionally affects girls and is associated with a range of. The lack of education and employment opportunities for women and norms around gender roles have been shown to perpetuate child marriage [3]; at the household and individual levels, the perception of alternative pathways for girls beyond marriage can influence decision-making among parents and girls [14]. We posit that girls’ engagement in premarital sex and/or pregnancy operates as a driver of child marriage at all three levels, with marriage used as a preventative strategy or a response by parents or girls to alleviate financial burdens or avoid stigma in the community [15]. In settings where girls are believed to lack agency over decision-making in marriage, the focus has been on identifying those within the household or the community who hold the power and the perceived responsibility to initiate and negotiate girls’ marriage [18]. Studies have indicated the influence of social norms unrelated to child marriage, such as stigma related to premarital sex and pregnancy or women’s employment [20]
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