Developmental Implications of Early Marriage in Nigera

Filed in Public Administration Project Topics by on October 27, 2020

Developmental Implications of Early Marriage in Nigera.

ABSTRACT

This research work explored the issue of early marriage in Nigeria. It shed light specifically on reasons behind its perpetuation, its harmful consequences, shows how it constitutes a barrier to education and enjoyment of human rights by girls and how it further threatens the development of the country.

The findings from respondents and extensive reading of materials related to early marriage suggest that early marriage is due to various factors including among others, the search for economic survival, protection of young girls, peer group and family pressure, controlling female behavior and sexuality, wars and civil conflicts, socio-cultural and religious values.

It is a violation of girls’ human rights as it deprives her from freedom, opportunity for personal development, and other rights. It is also a developmental challenge for population pressure, health care costs and lost opportunities of human development.

It is a barrier to girls’ education as young girls drop out of school to get married which impacts negatively on the community as a whole and on the well-being of future generation.

This practice stands in direct conflict with the objectives of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); such as the promotion of basic education, fight against poverty, the prevention of HIV/AIDS and reduction of maternal mortality rate in sub Saharan Africa and Nigeria in particular.

To deal with the problem, a number of strategies have been suggested mainly for providing economic opportunities to young girls, promoting education of girls and using mass media to increase the awareness of the whole community about the consequences of early marriage on girls themselves, their family and on the community as a whole.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title page – – – – – – – – i

Approval Page/Certification- – — – – – ii

Dedication- – – – – – – – – iii

Acknowledgement- – – – — – – – iv

Abstract- – – – – — – – – v

Table of Contents- – – – — – – – vi

Chapter 1: Introduction

1.1 Background to the Study- – — – – – 1

1.2 Statement of the Problem- – — – – – 4

1.3 Objectives of the Study- – — – – – 7

1.4 Significance of the Study- – — – – – 8

1.5 Scope and Limitation of the Study – — – – – 9

Chapter 2: Literature Review and Methodology

2.1 Literature Review- – – – – – – 11

2.1.1 What is Early Marriage – – – – – – 11

2.1.2 Context of Early Marriage in African – – – 13

2.1.3 Early Marriage as a Development Challenge – – – 13

2.2 Hypotheses- – – – – – – – 19

2.3 Operationalization of Key Concepts — – – – 19

2.4 Research Methodology- – – – – – 21

2.5 Theoretical Framework – – – – – – 26

Chapter 3: Background Information on the Study Area

3.1 Background Information on Uzo-uwani Local Government Area – 29

Chapter 4: Data Presentation, Analysis and Findings

4.2 Data Presentation- – – – – – – 34

4.3 Summary of the Findings- – – – — – 41

4.3 Discussion of Findings- – – – — – 42

Chapter 5: Summary, Recommendations and Conclusion

5.1 Summary – – – – – – — – 44

5.2 Recommendations – – – – – — – 44

5.3 Conclusion- – – – – – – – 47

5.4 BIBLIOGRAPHY– – – – – – – 51

INTRODUCTION

Birth, marriage and death are the standard trio of key events in most people’s lives. But only one ‘marriage’ is a matter of choice. The right to exercise that choice was recognized as a principle of law even in Roman times and has long been established in international human rights instruments.

Yet many girls, and a smaller number of boys, enter into marriage without any chance of exercising their right to choose. Some are forced into marriage at a very early age. Others are simply too young to make an informed decision about their marriage partner or about the implications of marriage itself.

They may have given what passes for ‘consent’ in the eyes of custom or the law, but in reality, consent to their binding union has been made by others on their behalf. The assumption is that once a girl is married, she has become a woman – even if she is only 12.

Equally, where a boy is made to marry, he is now a man and must put away childish things. While the age of marriage is generally on the rise, early marriage – marriage of children and adolescents below the age of 18 is still widely practiced. While early marriage takes many different forms and has various causes, one issue is paramount.

Whether it happens to a girl or a boy, early marriage is a violation of human rights. The right to free and full consent to a marriage is recognized in the1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and in many subsequent human rights instruments – consent that cannot be ‘free and full’ when at least one partner is very immature.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bunting, A. (1999): Particularity of Rights, Diversity of Contexts: Women, International Human Rights and the Case of Early Marriage, Doctoral Thesis, University of Toronto, Faculty of Law.

Clark, S. J. and A. (2004): Protecting young women from HIV/AIDS: The case against child and adolescent in International Family Planning perspectives, vol.32.No 2.

Easton, D. (1967): The Current Meaning of Behaviouralism in Political Science, in James Chalesworth (ed): Contemporary Political Analysis, New York: Free Press.

Eze, A. (2010): Uzo-uwan Local Government and Marginalization: John Agros Publishers Inc. Anambra.

International Center for Research on Women (ICRW). (2008): Too young to Gwed, child marriage in their own words. Washington, D.C.

Kabeer, N. (2005): Is Microfinance a Magic Bullet for Women’s Empowerment: Analysis of findings from South Asia. Economic and Political Weekly.

CSN Team.

Comments are closed.

Hey Hi

Don't miss this opportunity

Enter Your Details