Table 6 Respondents' perspectives on child marriage
Ethiopia | Indonesia | Kenya | Malawi | Mozambique | Zambia | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Perspectives of young women (18-24 years) who married as children (% (n)) | ||||||||||||
It was their choice to get married | 30% (260) | 85.7% (140) | 30.5% (105) | 67.1% (167) | 68.8% (237) | 57.5% (73) | ||||||
Felt pressured into marriage by any person or family | 56.5 (260) | 9.3% (140) | 52.4% (105) | 10.8% (167) | 35.9% (237) | 37.0% (73) | ||||||
Respondents (15-24 years) who slightly agreed, agreed or strongly agreeda with the following statements: | ||||||||||||
Females (n=1,127) | Males (n=469) | Females (n=1,157) | Males (n=377) | Females (n=1,019) | Males (n=349) | Females (n=1,194) | Males (n=401) | Females (n=1,222) | Males (n=248) | Females (n=1,001) | Males (n=447) | |
Marrying girls at a young age is part of our religious practices | 14.6% | 18.1% | 56.8% | 54.4% | 5.8% | 7.7% | 7.9% | 6.0% | 12.9% | 10.9% | 5.8% | 3.6% |
Marrying girls at a young age can help protect family honour/ reputation | 48.3% | 48.0% | 45.2% | 52.8% | 4.6% | 5.4% | 8.6% | 6.0% | 25.3% | 14.1% | 19.7% | 10.7% |
Marriage of girls under 18 years may happen because of pregnancy | 36.0% | 56.1% | 8.6% | 14.1% | 75.6% | 73.6% | 69.0% | 82.3% | 54.7% | 56.9% | 80.0% | 74.7% |
Marriage of girls under 18 years mostly happens because there is a lack of education and job opportunities | 43.8% | 47.3% | 29.6% | 27.3% | 73.2% | 74.2% | 65.7% | 70.6% | 46.2% | 56.5% | 70.8% | 79.6% |
Marriage of girls under 18 years sometimes happens for financial reasons | 48.5% | 69.1% | 48.4% | 51.2% | 51.0% | 53.6% | 68.8% | 71.8% | 20.8% | 23.8% | 70.1% | 61.3% |
Marrying girls young can help prevent sexual violence, assault and harassment | 40.1% | 56.9% | 39.2% | 47.2% | 7.2% | 5.7% | 13.9% | 7.2% | 23.0% | 23.8% | 18.4% | 13.2% |
Marrying a girl young is preferable because younger brides are more obedient and respectful of their husbands | 52.6% | 42.2% | 55.1% | 44.6% | 21.2% | 17.2% | 27.5% | 23.4% | 34.9% | 41.1% | 34.4% | 23.5% |
Even if a girl does not want to be married she should honour the decisions/ wishes of her family | 52.4% | 56.1% | 66.7% | 64.2% | 42.0% | 42.7% | 27.9% | 27.2% | 39.2% | 39.5% | 31.8% | 28.9% |
Respondents’ (15-24 years) knowledge about the minimum age of marriage for girls (Ethiopia: 18 years, Indonesia: 16 years, Kenya: 18 years, Malawi: 18 years, Mozambique: 18 years, Zambia: 21 years) | ||||||||||||
Respondents who knew the minimum age for marriage according to statutory law for girls | 74.1% | 61.8% | 0.9% | 0.8% | 21.1% | 24.4% | 43.0% | 45.4% | 16.9% | 32.3% | 1.9% | 0.4% |