Peer-reviewed article
Early Marriage in Rural Zimbabwe
Ndumiso Daluxolo Ngidi, Tsitsi Dube ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view ·Key points
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Abstract
Abstract In this article, we explore the sociocultural constraints that undermine rural adolescent girls’ agency in resisting early child marriage in a gender-unequal context in Zimbabwe. Drawing on interviews with 20 rural high school girls aged 14 to 17, we analyze how intersecting forces—patriarchal authority, family control, economic precarity, and institutional complicity curtail girls’ autonomy. Findings reveal how fear of familial rejection, the lack of safe spaces, the silencing of girls’ voices, and the normalization of early child marriage converge to limit resistance. The involvement of authority figures in abuse, cultural responses to early pregnancy, and limited access to information further intensify girls’ vulnerability. Dismantling early child marriage requires transformative interventions that challenge patriarchal norms and foster collective empowerment in structurally marginalized rural sub-Saharan Africa.