Table 3 Summary of suggested causal pathways relating to marriage
Involuntary | Gender and psycho-social | Economic and material | |
|---|---|---|---|
Marriage increase | Increased opportunity for social contact between the sexes | Fear of sexual violence or loss of honour for unmarried women leads to marriage at younger ages | Disruption in girls schooling leading to earlier marriage/childbirth |
Increased competition for remaining males as marriage partners | Desire for increased social cohesion | Increased poverty leading to transactional marriages/early marriage to gain bride price | |
Increased pro-natalism and conservatism supports early marriage and childbirth | |||
Marriage decrease | Disruption and separation of the sexes | Cost of marriage, lack of employment opportunities and destruction of infrastructure | |
Lack of available males due to conscription and differential mortality |