Persistent Nature of Child Marriage in Nepal Even When It Is Illegal: What Predicts?

Background: Over 60 million female children worldwide are married before age 18, with nearly half of these marriages occurring in South Asia ^1-3. To be sure, child marriage occurs across the globe; in the U.S. about 8.9% of women’s marriages occur before age 18⁴ whereas in some of the countries in Southern Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, up to 50 to 70% of girls are married prior to age 18 years⁵. Regardless of how and why girl child marriage persists, early marriage adversely affects a girl’s physical and emotional health; perpetuates gender inequity in education and employment opportunities^6,7and shortens girls’ childhood, education, their rights to choose their partner, compromises their maternal and child health.  In this paper, I asked the following question: What predicts the persistent nature of child marriage even when it is illegal?

 Method:I analyzed data from 9,783 married women using the 2011 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey, a nationally representative comprehensive survey, that used a two-stage, stratified sample design to collect data from women between 15 and 49 years of age. I employed descriptive and logistic regression analyses using SAS version 9.2 to assess the predictors of childhood marriage of girls in Nepal.

 Results:About 32% of the women were married by age 15 and 78% were married before age 20.  The women’s odds of marrying after age 20 increased substantially with increase in education of women and their partners controlling for other factors. Also, Far-Western region of Nepal had the highest concentration of women married as children. 

Implications:Nepal’s current law prohibits marriage of girls or boys before age 20. Yet, about 78% of marriages in Nepal occur illegally before age 20. The proposed study supports enrollment and retention of girls in schools. Also, Nepal should focus on more rigorous implementation of its marriage law, especially in the Far Western region of Nepal. Perhaps, birth and marriage registration and working with priests that are engaged in marriage performances will help.

 References used:

1.         Hampton T. Child marriage threatens girls' health. JAMA. Aug 4 2010;304(5):509-510.

2.         Nour NM. Child marriage: a silent health and human rights issue. Rev Obstet Gynecol. Winter 2009;2(1):51-56.

3.         Raj A, McDougal L, Rusch ML. Changes in prevalence of girl child marriage in South Asia. JAMA. May 16 2012;307(19):2027-2029.

4.         Le Strat Y, Dubertret C, Le Foll B. Child Marriage in the United States and Its Association With Mental Health in Women. Pediatrics. Sep 2011;128(3):524-530.

5.         Raj A. When the mother is a child: the impact of child marriage on the health and human rights of girls. Archives of Disease in Childhood. Nov 2010;95(11):931-935.

6.         Lloyd CB, Mensch BS. Marriage and childbirth as factors in dropping out from school: An analysis of DHS data from sub-Saharan Africa. Pop Stud-J Demog. 2008;62(1):1-13.

7.         Evenhuis M, Burn J. Just married, just a child:Child marriage in the Indo-Pacific region: Plan International Australia; 2014.