Factors contributing to the increased prevalence of child marriage among girls in Kayonza Sub county, Ntungamo District

Abstract

This qualitative study aimed to investigate the multifaceted factors contributing to the increased prevalence of child marriage among girls in Kayonza Sub-county, Ntungamo District, Uganda. Specifically, it sought to determine the socio-cultural factors, examine the economic factors, and assess the influence of parental care on child marriage in the area. Employing an interpretive research approach with a qualitative research design, data were collected through in-depth individual interviews (IDIs) with six teenage girls in marriage and two older women married as children, key informant interviews (KIIs) with a midwife, and LC1 Chairperson, and a school head teacher, and two focused group discussions (FGDs) with Mothers' Union members and married men. The total sample comprised 17 individual participants and 13 FGD participants, ensuring diverse perspectives from directly affected individuals and community stakeholders within Kayonza Sub-county. The findings revealed that child marriage is driven by a complex interplay of factors. Socio-cultural factors include deeply entrenched community norms that normalize early marriage and praise young brides, pervasive shame associated with pre-marital pregnancy leading to forced unions, and peer influence stemming from observed early marriages and perceived material benefits. Economically, extreme poverty compels families to view daughters as burdens, incentivizing marriage as a survival strategy. The transactional nature of bride price provides immediate financial relief, while parents often prioritize this over girls' education, which is seen as an expensive and unrewarding investment. Parental care significantly impacts vulnerability, characterized by a profound lack of communication and consent from parents regarding their daughters' marriages, emotional and protective neglect, and limited parental education which reduces awareness of the harms of child marriage. Cross-cutting themes included a critical lack of sexual health education leading to unintended pregnancies, and an absence of viable educational, vocational, or economic alternatives, which collectively narrow girls' perceived future pathways, making early marriage a perceived necessity.