Beyond the statistic: exploring the process of early marriage decision-making using qualitative findings from Ethiopia and India.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Early marriage of girls (marriage < 18 years) is a pervasive abuse of rights that compromises maternal and child health. The common conceptualization of this practice as an outcome undermines the nuanced and sometimes protracted decision-making process of whom and when to marry.

Methods

This paper uses qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with females aged 13-23 years who participated in child marriage prevention programs and either married early or cancelled/postponed early marriage, and their key marital decision-makers in Oromia, Ethiopia (n = 105) and Jharkhand, India (n = 100).

Results

Social norms and the loss of a parent were stressors sustaining early marriage across contexts. Participants described three stages of early marriage: initia

SUBMITTER: McDougal L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6109273 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature