CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Early marriage has been recognized as an international issue by many development professionals around the world, but it is particularly prevalent in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Millions of young people suffer its negative consequences around the world because it diverts them from opportunities for personal growth and development. This phenomenon is very common in rural areas and poor house hold families in Africa, and it has a negative impact not only on young girls but on society as a whole and the wellbeing of future generations Bayisenge (2012).
According to the Pathfinder worldwide report (2006), early marriage still exists throughout Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East, with parents serving as the head of household.
In most cases, parents view their young children’s marriage as a strategy for building a family and protecting them from harmful practices outside of marriage, but few of them consider the importance of educational attainment so that the next generation has the skills they need to secure and maintain their wellbeing and quality of life.
Any marriage of a child under the age of 18 is considered early marriage. Girls lose their youth as a result of being forced to take on tasks for which they are not psychologically or physically prepared. Many people have no say in when they marry their partner. Some people are forced to marry, while others are too young to make an informed choice. Premature marriage robs them of their own freedom. Early marriage, despite its drawbacks, is a regular occurrence in many parts of the world. In developing nations, 20-50 percent of women are married by the age of 18, with the greatest percentages in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia (Singh and Samara, 1996:8). Poor women in rural areas marry younger than those in urban areas almost everywhere, and educational levels also play a significant effect (UN, 2010:5). In the United States, however, 2.1 percent of all girls aged 15-17 were married before the age of 18, while 7.6 percent of all girls aged 15-19 were in an informal relationship (UN, 2010:9). Early marriage is common in various regions of Europe, such as the United Kingdom, where 4.1% of people marry before the age of 18. Early marriage is more common among females in rural areas and northern Nigeria than among boys. Girls are married at a rate of 43% before the age of 18, compared to 11.6 percent for boys. This percentage is higher than the national prevalence rate, which is 34 percent for women and 1.4 percent for men (Plan International, 2011:1). Early marriage has been justified for a variety of reasons. A young girl may be seen as an economic burden by poor families, and her marriage may be seen as a vital survival strategy for her family. Her marriage brings financial and social benefits to the family (ICRW, 2007:98). In certain circumstances, parents willingly marry off their young daughters in order to receive bride dowry and thereby boost the family’s riches.
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
Poverty, civil war, and a lack of development are among factors that contribute to the practice of early marriage. Some families believe it inhibits and limits promiscuity. Early marriage violates a girl’s right to privacy, restricts her ability to make decisions, isolates her from her peers, increases her risk of intimate sexual violence and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV infection, and predisposes her to childbirth complications like obstructed labor and obstetric fistulae. When compared to women who become pregnant after the age of 20, maternal mortality in pregnancy is four times greater in girls under the age of 16, and their new-born death rate is 50 percent higher. Early marriage also causes the girl child’s education to be halted or interrupted.
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The primary goal of this research is to determine the impact of early marriage on teenage girls’ long-term prospects in Nigeria. The study’s objectives are as follows:
1. Research the reasons for early marriage in Nigeria.
2. Examine the impact of early marriage on young girls’ long-term prospects in Nigeria.
3. Propose a remedy to the problem of early marriage among Nigerian young females.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1. What are the factors that lead to early marriage in Nigeria?
2. Does early marriage have any consequences for the long-term prospects of teenage girls in Nigeria?
3. What is the solution to Nigeria’s early marriage problem among teenage girls?
1.5 Hypothesis for Research
Early marriage has no effect on a teenage girl’s long-term future in Nigeria, according to Ho.
Hello, there are consequences of early marriage on the long-term destiny of teenage females in Nigeria.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
In some Nigerian communities, early marriage of a girl’s child has been documented. For these young mothers and their families, it is linked to school dropout and a poor quality of life. There is a scarcity of data on early marriage and its effects on girls, particularly in northern Nigeria. As a result, the public would be made aware of the dangers of early marriage and the consequences for Nigerian girls. This information should enable for the design of intervention methods as well as a policy to address the situation. The research will also reveal other gaps in the discipline, prompting further research by other experts. Finally, the study adds to the body of knowledge in Nigeria about early marriage.
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This study on early marriage among teenagers and its implications for a sustainable future will be conducted in Otta, Ogun State, Nigeria, i.e. Ado-Odo LGA.
DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY
Obtaining funding for general research activity will be difficult during the course of studies. Correspondents may also be unable or unwilling to complete or submit the questionnaires that have been sent to them.
However, it is expected that these limits will be overcome by making the greatest use of existing resources and devoting more time to research than is required. As a result, it is strongly considered that, despite these constraints, their impact on this research report will be small, allowing the study’s purpose and significance to be met.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
Early Marriage: Child marriage is a legal or informal partnership entered into by a person before attaining a particular age, which is defined as children under the age of 18 by numerous international organizations such as UNICEF.
Teenagers: A teenager, often known as a teen, is a person between the ages of thirteen and nineteen.
Sustainable: The process of maintaining change in a balanced manner, in which resource exploitation, investment direction, and technology development orientation are all considered.
The prospect of prosperity or happiness in the future.