The Effects Of Early Marriage Practice On Education For Girls In Nigeria

The Effects Of Early Marriage Practice On Education For Girls In Nigeria

Chapiter 1

Introduction

1.1 The Study’s Background

Early marriage is characterized as a legal or unofficial partnership that occurs before the age of 18. Early marriage, according to Ango (2013), is the union of an adolescent girl or boy, or an adolescent female and a mature man, or vice versa, and occurs during puberty, when the person is beginning to mature. According to Molokwu (2000), marriage should only take place when a person is at least 18 years old and has reached sufficient physical, social, intellectual, and emotional development to handle the rigors of marriage. Early marriage was frequent throughout human history, and it is still fairly common in some regions of the world, particularly in northern Nigeria. The percentage of married teenagers has a significant impact on the social, educational, psychological, and health facets of human existence. When formal education was originally introduced in Northern Nigeria before to independence, the government, through the Native Authority (NA) (now known as the Local Government Authority), had to compel parents to enroll their daughters in formal schools. These girls’ conscription into various schools, frequently outside of their province, was entirely supported by the NA. However, with the biggest percentage of girls not enrolled in school and those who leave out to get married, the sociocultural and religious customs that later developed in Northern states, particularly the North East and North West, changed. The majority of these girls never return to school to finish their degree, pursue a trade, or pick up job-related skills that would give them financial independence.

The effects of early marriage on girls include lack of education, lack of economic empowerment, and lack of knowledge about reproductive health services, all of which will hinder their ability to make informed decisions, improve their ability to use resources, and take part in local decision-making. The causes of early marriage of girls are frequently cited as including poverty, unintended pregnancies, peer pressure, parental pressure, and developmental stage. More specifically, it has a detrimental tendency on young girls, who are more likely to experience emotional and mental pain, intolerance, school abandonment, the VVF disease, early widowhood, frustration, and enmity against men (Clark, 2016). Many ethnic groups around the world, including those in Nigeria, regularly practice early marriage. It has, nevertheless, contributed to a number of unfavorable effects on young girls and the community in which they live. Human rights in general and girls’ rights in particular are violated (Abdallah, 2015). Early marriage has significant negative physical, intellectual, psychological, and emotional effects on both girls and boys, stifling prospects for personal development through school and work. Since girls marry young in greater numbers and with more intensity in Northern Nigeria, where the practice is common, girls are more affected. The practice of early marriage not only negatively affects the girls individually but also their families, communities, and society as a whole (Adedokun et al., 2012). According to Giyan (2009), efforts made by the international community to combat poverty in developing nations are also hampered by early marriage. This undercuts important efforts by the three tiers of government to address educational challenges, fight poverty, HIV/AIDS, and other development challenges by highlighting the fact that the widespread practice of girls marriage makes it harder for families to escape poverty in developing countries like Nigeria. The country’s labor force would suffer if early marriages were permitted, along with an increase in the fertility and mortality rates. Maternal mortality rates and the danger of contracting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) have increased as a result of parents’ incorrect thinking in wanting to pervert their daughter’s virginity (Gupta, 2014). Knowing that Bauchi is one of the states with the highest percentage of married teens is highly upsetting. In an effort to reverse this terrible trend, efforts will be undertaken to examine how early marriage affects female children’s education.

Wide age gaps between the girls and their husbands cannot be separated from the high level of violence and burden of HIV/AIDS infection among married adolescents (Kelly et al., 2003; Clark, 2004; Karlyn, 2007; Santhya et al., 2013); and the prevalence of the practice has made a significant contribution to the burden of HIV/AIDS infection and death in Nigeria, which is ranked second among countries with the highest burden of HIV/AIDS, 10th and 11th with the highest burden

According to studies (Ahmed, 1986; Lesthaeghe et al, 1989; Kabir, 1998; Yabiku, 2003; Saxena et al, 2004; Ikamari, 2005; Adebowale et al, 2012; World Vision UK, 2013; UNICEF, 2014), the practice is more common in less developed areas, among the poor, illiterate, and rural residents. Nigeria is one of the world’s high-risk areas for child marriage due to its high rate of illiteracy, extreme poverty, and significant rural population. In spite of its prevalence and negative reproductive implications, the researcher plans to look into how early marriage practices in Nigeria affect girls’ access to schooling.

1.2 Definition of the Issue

This bad health state is considerably exacerbated by early marriage. While there are some non-governmental measures to combat early pregnancy, the overall picture from the government is quite ambiguous. A number of state governments refused to sign the Child’s Rights Act because it stipulated that the minimum age for marriage was 18 years old, opposing national policies like those on population and adolescent health that explicitly advocate the elimination of child marriage and raising the marriage age to 18. According to UNICEF’s 2011 and 2014 reports, the nation has one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world with 43% of females getting married before becoming 18 years old. In order to address these issues, the researcher decided to undertake this study on how early marriage practice affects girls’ education in Nigeria. The researcher recognizes that the prevalence of this practice may not be accurately envisioned using the national rate; its prevalence and potential negative influence differ in regions.

1.3 The Study’s Objectives

Finding out the consequences of early marriage practices on girls’ education in Nigeria is one of this study’s key goals. More specifically, the study hopes to;

1. Research the reasons behind early marriage in Nigeria, especially in the north.

2. Examine the variables that affect early marriage among Nigerians from the North.

3. Examine the impact of early marriage on Nigerian girls’ schooling.

4. Examine how early marriage affects the development of female children in Nigeria.

1.4.1 Research Issues

1. What are the main reasons for young marriage in Nigeria, especially in the north?

2. What are the variables influencing early marriage among Nigerians from the North?

3. Does the tradition of early marriage affect the education of girls in Nigeria?

4. How does early marriage affect the destiny of female children in Nigeria?

1.5 Research Hypothesis

The trend of early marriage in Nigeria has no discernible impact on girls’ educational opportunities.

Hello: In Nigeria, early marriage practice has a substantial negative impact on girls’ education.

1.6 Importance of the Research

This study will add to the body of knowledge already available on the social effects of early marriage. The results of this study will make government and policy stakeholders, residents of the north, and the general public aware of the detrimental effects that early marriage has on the education of female children and their future in Nigeria. The results of this study will act as a guide and a point of reference for future investigations on early marriage and the education of female children in Nigeria.

1.7 The Study’s Purpose

This study will primarily look at early marriage and its impact on women’s education in Nigeria.