Child marriage among Somali refugees in Ethiopia: a cross sectional survey of adolescent girls and adult women
This study sought to quantify child marriage among Somali adolescent girls residing in Kobe refugee camp and to identify its consequences
Abstract
Despite child marriage receiving increased attention over the past two decades, research on child marriage in humanitarian settings remains scarce. This study sought to quantify child marriage among Somali adolescent girls residing in Kobe refugee camp in Ethiopia and to identify its correlates and consequences.
A cross-sectional survey of adolescent girls aged 15-19 found that14% were currently married and 11% were married under age 18. Variables found to be significantly associated with child marriage included schooling, the head of household’s sex and employment status, as well as number of girls under age 18 in the childhood home. Adult women tended to incorrectly identify minimum legal age at marriage and preferred low marital age for boys and girls – particularly in households of child brides. Among married adolescent girls, contraceptive use was very low, and early childbearing was common.
Insights generated from this study have the potential to inform programmes and interventions aiming to prevent and mitigate the impacts of this harmful practice.
This research was supported by the Research for Health in Humanitarian Crises (R2HC) Programme
Citation
Elnakib, S., Hunersen, K., Metzler, J. et al. Child marriage among Somali refugees in Ethiopia: a cross sectional survey of adolescent girls and adult women. BMC Public Health 21, 1051 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-11080-5