Neema Stella, Maluwa Christine, Nakigudde Rita, Uldbjerg Cecilie S, Tagoola Florence M, Muhwezi Edson
Makerere University, Department of Sociology and Anthropology.
Makerere University School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics.
Afr J Reprod Health. 2021 Jun;25(3):83-93. doi: 10.29063/ajrh2021/v25i3.10.
Child marriage remains a significant challenge in Uganda despite national policies, legislation and programs for improved rights of girls. This ethnographic study aimed to explore underlying drivers of child marriage in Lira district, Northern Uganda. We applied a triangulation of qualitative methods; in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, key informant interviews and observations. Data were analysed using qualitative thematic content analysis. Our study findings showed that child marriage is still prevalent in the study area and the practice was also carried out at designated markets, at which girls were traded in exchange of livestock. The main drivers of child marriage were identified as poverty and survival strategies; socio-cultural beliefs and norms; and school dropouts. Determined efforts are needed to address the socio-cultural drivers of child marriage, keep girls in school, address poverty through targeting the family and individual level with appropriate incentives to address the economic needs of girls and families to delay marriage, enforce laws prohibiting the practice of child marriage, equip teenagers with accurate information on SRHR and ensure that parents support their daughters to be educated and responsible adults.
尽管乌干达制定了旨在改善女童权利的国家政策、立法和方案，但童婚现象仍是该国面临的一项重大挑战。这项人种志研究旨在探究乌干达北部利拉区童婚现象的潜在驱动因素。我们采用了多种定性方法相结合的方式，包括深度访谈、焦点小组讨论、关键 informant 访谈和观察。数据通过定性主题内容分析法进行分析。我们的研究结果表明，童婚在研究区域仍然普遍存在，这种行为还发生在指定的市场上，女童在这些市场上被用来交换牲畜。童婚的主要驱动因素被确定为贫困与生存策略、社会文化信仰和规范以及辍学。需要下定决心努力解决童婚现象的社会文化驱动因素，让女童留在学校，通过在家庭和个人层面提供适当激励措施来解决贫困问题，以满足女童和家庭的经济需求从而推迟婚姻，执行禁止童婚行为的法律，为青少年提供有关性健康和生殖健康权利的准确信息，并确保父母支持女儿接受教育并成长为有责任感的成年人。
