Determinants of child marriages in Chamilala ward of Nyimba district, Zambia.
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Date
2023
Authors
Nyambe, Ireen Nomalanga
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The University of Zambia
Abstract
Child marriages are increasingly becoming high and it seems that the strategies used to end child marriages are ineffective yet resources are increasingly being spent. Child marriages affect the improvement of livelihoods among the people especially those in the rural communities. Furthermore it compromises the effectiveness of the foreign aid on which ending child marriages promotions and campaigns depend on. Ultimately, initiatives such as ending child marriages will not bring about improved sustainable livelihoods and standards of living, and reduction in poverty at large. Thus this study sought to identify and investigate the determinants that lead to child marriages and options for reducing child marriages in Chamilala ward of Nyimba district. A mixed-method research design was used in this study to collect the needed data. The study targeted a population of 796 households of Chamilala ward of Nyimba district from which a sample size of 77 was drawn from the population using random sampling procedure. Further the study used purposive sampling to select key informants and focus group discussants. Descriptive statistics using percentages was used to analyze quantitative data and thematic analysis was used
to analyze qualitative data. The study found that the most affected families with child marriages are the poor families, single/widowed, orphaned homes, grand parented homes and those whose household heads were illiterate. The respondents’ perception on child marriages was that it was wide spread and worrying to the community members. The study showed that initiation ceremonies such as kulanga ndola,cinamwali and cisungu are the most influencing cultures to
child marriages and the most affected age cohort in child marriages was the 15-17 years old. Research results further showed that immorality (29 percent), education challenges (17 percent), forced marriages (12 percent), poverty (21 percent), peer pressure (14 percent) and child mistreatment (7 percent) were the main determinants of child marriages in the study area. Lack of decision making (14 percent), marital violence (18 percent), health complications (44 percent) and financial challenges (24 percent) were some of the risks or dangers of child marriages that were identified in this study. It was identified that the community react to child marriages by reporting to the police (victim support unit), traditional leaders and the one stop center (Gender Based Violence Unit) while others did nothing about it for fear of being bewitched by the involved families. Some of the identified opportunities as preventive measures to child marriages were law enforcement (36 percent), community awareness (22 percent) and girls’ education (42 percent). The study therefore concluded that child marriages were really a challenge in the study area and that it was imperative that all stakeholders be involved to help in reducing child marriages in the rural areas.
Description
Thesis of Master Degree of Public Health