Table 5 Summary of identified drivers of child marriage in the six country contexts
Level | Drivers of child marriage | Observed in country context |
|---|---|---|
Individual | Lack of educationa School drop-outa Teenage pregnancy Agentic choice to marry early Lack of knowledge about legal age of marriage | Ethiopia, Kenya, Zambia Indonesia Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia Ethiopia, Indonesia All countries, particularly Indonesia, Kenya, Mozambique, Zambia |
Social | Mothers’ lack of educationa Fathers’ lack of educationa Family honour, status Family bonds, relationships Sexual relationships | Indonesia Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique Ethiopia, Kenya Ethiopia Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia |
Material | Lack of job opportunities Financial constraints in girls’ family Bride wealth | Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia Kenya and less in Indonesia, Zambia |
Institutional | Social and gender norms | |
- Taboo of premarital sex and girls’ sexuality; importance of virginity, particularly for unmarried women; family shame in case of pregnancy out of wedlock | All countries, particularly Ethiopia and Indonesia | |
- Female’s education less important than men’s education | Ethiopia, Indonesia and Kenya | |
- Men to financially provide for women | All countries, particularly Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia | |
- Little decision-making space for girls | All countries, particularly Ethiopia, Indonesia and Mozambique | |
- Importance of transition to adulthood; unmarried women less respected than married women | All countries, particularly Ethiopia and Indonesia | |
- Wives to be obedient to husbands – younger wives more obedient | All countries, particularly Ethiopia and Indonesia | |
Abduction | Indonesia | |
Religion | Indonesia, Ethiopia |