Peer-reviewed article
Girl child marriage and the social context of displacement: a qualitative comparative exploration of Syrian refugees in Jordan and Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh
Jewel Gausman, Fauzia Akhter Huda, Areej Othman, Maysoon Al Atoom, Abeer Mohammed Shaheen et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This qualitative study explored attitudes towards child marriage among Syrian refugees in Jordan and Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh through focus group discussions with fathers, mothers, and adolescent boys and girls. Researchers found that both populations showed similar patterns: a desire to preserve traditional practices during displacement, reinforcement of norms across generations, and limited agency for girls themselves. The study identified that social influence—both negative (peer pressure, conformity) and positive (host community influence)—shapes child marriage practices in humanitarian settings.
Key points
- Child marriage norms are reinforced across generations and family relationships in both refugee settings
- Displacement and conflict exacerbate resistance to changing child marriage practices
- Girls in both settings reported having little agency in decisions about marriage
- Social influence operates both to sustain child marriage (through peer pressure) and potentially to challenge it (through positive host community influence)
- Families in displacement settings express a desire to hold onto traditional practices
Limitations
This is a qualitative study based on focus group discussions, so findings cannot be generalised numerically or statistically to all refugees in these settings. The study describes norms and attitudes rather than measuring actual prevalence rates or testing interventions to reduce child marriage.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: There is growing global evidence that girl child marriage (CM) increases during humanitarian crises. Norms, attitudes, and policies that sustain CM are deeply entrenched within families and communities, and may be further exacerbated by conflict and displacement. The purpose of this study is to understand how the social and normative environment influences attitudes and practices related to CM in two diverse humanitarian settings. METHODS: We held a total of eight focus group discussions, four in each country, with Syrian refugees in Jordan and Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh. FGDs were conducted with fathers, mothers, and adolescent boys and girls. RESULTS: Similar themes emerged from both settings. Participants discussed a desire to hold onto tradition in displacement and how norms are reinforced across generations. Social influence emerged in positive and negative ways, including peer pressure and conformity and the positive influence of host communities. In both settings, girls themselves described having little agency. Participants described resistance to change, which was exacerbated by conflict and displacement, though they discussed how social influence could be an effective way to challenge existing norms that drive the practice of girl child marriage. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings represent a more robust understanding of how norms operate within the social ecological system, and how they are reinforced across social relationships, offering an opportunity to more effectively challenge norms that sustain the practice of girl child marriage.