Investigation of the key factors that influence the girls to enter into child marriage: A meta-synthesis of qualitative evidence

This systematic review synthesizes qualitative research on child marriage to identify the key factors that influence girls to marry as children. The researchers found six main drivers: human insecurity and conflict, legal issues, family values and circumstances, religious beliefs, individual circumstances and knowledge, and social norms. The review highlights that while laws against child marriage exist globally, they are often poorly enforced. The authors note that most studies came from the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia, and call for more research from Latin America and Southeast Asia where child marriage rates are highest.

Key points

• Six main themes identified: human insecurity and conflict; legal issues; family values and circumstances; religious beliefs; individual circumstances, beliefs, and knowledge; and social norms
• Human insecurity, conflict, and legal issues are highlighted as particularly important factors influencing child marriage
• Global legislation against child marriage exists but is insufficiently enforced in many settings
• Most included studies (12 total) were from the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia
• Research gaps exist for Latin America and Southeast Asia, which have the highest rates of child marriage

Limitations

This is a meta-synthesis of qualitative studies only, which cannot quantify the relative importance or prevalence of different factors. The review is limited to English-language publications from 2008-2018, and the geographic concentration in certain regions means findings may not be generalizable to all contexts where child marriage occurs.