Peer-reviewed article
Perceptions of Early Marriage among Young People in Kyrgyzstan
Abigail Knouse, Sarah Milligan, Suruchi Sood ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study explores how young people in Kyrgyzstan view early marriage, despite it being illegal since 2017. Researchers spoke with 12 adolescents in Osh and Chuy to understand their views on early marriage, gender roles, and their say in who and when they marry. The young people surveyed strongly opposed early marriage and felt worried or ashamed about it. The authors recommend preventing child marriage by supporting girls' education and careers, and educating families and communities about the harms of early marriage.
Key points
- Early marriage continues in Kyrgyzstan despite legislation outlawing it in 2017
- Social norms around religion, honour, financial stability, and gender roles drive the practice
- Adolescents in the study overwhelmingly did not support early marriage
- Young people expressed anxiety, shame, or concern about early marriage
- Recommended interventions include advocating for girls' education and career opportunities and raising awareness about harms of child marriage
Limitations
The study involved only 12 adolescents in two locations, which is a small sample and may not represent views across all of Kyrgyzstan. The document does not describe the research methodology in detail or provide quantitative data on the prevalence of early marriage or how perceptions vary by age, ethnicity, or other factors.
Abstract
Despite legislation outlawing child marriage in Kyrgyzstan in 2017, the practice continues today. Early marriage is driven by social norms around religion, honor, financial stability, and restrictive gender roles. Participatory research activities were implemented with 12 adolescents in Kyrgyzstan Osh and the rural town of Chuy. Activities explored the perceptions of male and female youth around early marriage, gender norms, the consequences and benefits of marriage, and their autonomy in deciding who and when to wed. Responses from adolescents in the study were analyzed for themes by gender to reveal patterns in social norms around early marriage in Kyrgyzstan. Data showed that adolescents overwhelmingly did not support early marriage and expressed anxiety, shame, or concern about this topic. Interventions to prevent early marriage in Kyrgyzstan should advocate for girls’ education and career opportunities and raise family and community awareness about the harms of child marriage.