Community, household and individual factors

explaining early marriage in Ethiopia

Alula Pankhurst with Agazi Tiumelissan, Chanie Ejigu and Nardos Chuta

Young Lives Symposium on Gender and Adolescence New Delhi

21 May 2015

• Community factors– Region, – Urban-rural– Sites and cultures

• Household factors– Wealth– Parental death and illness

• Individual factors– Education– Work

OUTLINE

MARRIAGE AND FERTILTY ACROSS THE 4 COUNTRIES

EARLY MARRIAGE IN ETHIOPIA

One in six young women are married by age 19

Early marriage most common for girls in rural areas and poorer households.

ONE IN SIX YOUNG WOMEN MARRIED BY AGE OF 19

MARRIED GIRLS BY REGION AND SITE

MARRIED CHIDREN INCREASINGLY POORER

PARENTAL CHOIDE AND KNOWING PARTNER

4 out of the 5 married case study children had lost their father and the fifth the father was not supporting the household.

•Beletech was a double orphan living with her aunt; she was overworked as the only girl, and eloped at 17.

•Fatuma’s was living with her mother at her mother’s aunt but they did not get along; getting married meant she could leave; her mother said she got married: To escape poverty and other problems

•Ayu’s father was a drunkard and was in conflict with her mother and did not support the family. Ayu was overworked and marriage meant a change

FAMILY CIRCUMSTANCES MATTER: MARRIAGE AS ESCAPE?

• Haymanot got married at 16 against her will since her mother was ill and wanted to see her daughter married and secure.

I asked my mother to stop negotiating with the elders. I begged her to work and help her for some time up until she gets well. I also asked her to delay the marriage as I was too young. But she worried that she was getting very sick and she wanted to see my marriage before something bad happened. Then, I said ok.

FAMILY CIRCUMSTANCES MATTER: PARENTAL PRESSSURE

MARRIAGE AND EDUCATION

MARRIAGE EDUCATION AND WORK

PROVISIONAL CONCLUSIONS

• Early marriage results from a complex interplay between community, household and individual factors

• There is considerable community level differences in prevalence in part related to urban-rural, regional variation as well as cultural practices

• Early marriage is clearly partly linked to poverty, but in addition to wealth, family circumstances notably parental death and illness matter.

• Early marriage is also linked to poor educational progression and achievement and involvement in work often to support families.

• Marriage can also be an escape route from family pressures and overwork.