Peer-reviewed article
Constrained choices: Exploring the complexities of adolescent girls’ voice and agency in child marriage decisions in Ethiopia
Nicola Jones, Elizabeth Presler-Marshall, Guday Kassahun, Meti Kebede Hateu ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-sonnet-5-5This article looks at how adolescent girls in Ethiopia take part in decisions about marriage. It notes that child marriage in early adolescence has fallen sharply nationally, but says national figures hide a more complex picture. The authors use qualitative data from girls, boys, caregivers, service providers and community leaders, collected at the baseline of the GAGE longitudinal study. They describe an interplay between cultural norms, economic factors, girls' own voice and agency, and the support offered by leaders and service providers from local to national levels.
Key points
- Ethiopia has seen a remarkable fall in the proportion of girls who marry in early adolescence.
- Aggregate national figures mask a more complex reality.
- Child marriage decisions involve an interplay of cultural norms, economic factors, and individual voice and agency.
- Leaders and service providers, from grassroots to national levels, can offer collective support for girls' voice and agency.
Limitations
Only the abstract is available, so specific findings, sample sizes, locations and the strength of the evidence cannot be assessed. The data are qualitative baseline data, so the study does not show whether any intervention reduces child marriage.
Abstract
Ethiopia has recently seen a remarkable fall in the proportion of girls who marry in early adolescence, reflecting the country’s lauded efforts to tackle child marriage. However, aggregate national figures mask a more complex reality. This article explores this complexity, drawing on qualitative data with adolescent girls and boys, their caregivers, service providers and community leaders, from the Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE) longitudinal study baseline. Our findings highlight the complex interplay between cultural norms, economic factors, individual voice and agency, and collective support thereof, on the part of leaders and service providers, from grassroots to national levels.