An injury to a baby is an injury to a future parent and the society as the baby of today is a parent tomorrow. A child dumped for whatever reason is left at the mercy of pigs, snakes, worms, ritualists and the like for devouring. This act which may deny the child the right to life is an infringement on the right of the child as enshrined in the United Nation`s Child Right Act. Employing Erikson's Psychosocial Theory as the theoretical framework, this paper analyzes the vexed issue of baby dumping phenomenon in Nigeria as a form of violence against children, selecting Yoruba indigenous education as a model for checking the ugly trend. Poverty, family values degeneration, health and immorality are some of the reasons responsible for baby dumping in Nigeria. The model society ? Yoruba traditional society employed diverse strategies against baby dumping which include stringent family values, communal living, self-employment and morality which are suggested as incorporable values of checking the issue of baby dumping in contemporary Nigerian societies.
OBJECTIVES: This study explored the perceived barriers and facilitators regarding the implementation of policies and programmes aimed at reducing adolescent pregnancy among health and education professionals ('professionals'), grassroots workers and adolescent girls in Ghana. DESIGN AND SETTING: We employed an exploratory qualitative study design involving interviews with professionals, grassroots workers and adolescent girls in the Central Region of Ghana. PARTICIPANTS: This study involved 15 professionals employed in government or non-governmental organisations, 15 grassroots workers and 51 pregnant/parenting and non-pregnant adolescent girls. DATA ANALYSIS: Thematic analysis was conducted deductively using the ecological framework for understanding effective implementation. RESULTS: Eighteen themes mapped to the five domains of the ecological framework emerged. Perceived barriers included gender inequality, family poverty, stigma, community support for early childbearing and cohabitation, inadequate data systems, lack of collaboration between stakeholders and lack of political will. Effective implementation of community by-laws, youth involvement, use of available data, and collaboration and effective coordination between stakeholders were the perceived facilitators. CONCLUSION: Political leaders and community members should be actively engaged in the implementation of adolescent sexual and reproductive health policies and programmes. Gender empowerment programmes such as education and training of adolescent girls should be implemented and strengthened at both the community and national levels. Community members should be sensitised on the negative effects of norms that support child marriage, gender-based violence and early childbearing.
Bright Opoku Ahinkorah, Lin Perry, Fiona M Brooks et al.
AbstractThe paper examines the changes that occurred over time between Christians and Muslim in rural settlements. The study collected data from focus group discussions (FGDs) with married literate adolescent girls and unmarried non-literate adolescent girls. Christian and Muslim faith leaders as well as a government official were interviewed. The study revealed the rising rate of early marriage among Christians who were hitherto known to the delayed marriage of girl-child above 18 years. These changes have been attributed to the rising rate of poverty. This is because most of the rural families in the areas surveyed regardless of their faith; are polygamous because of the nature of their occupation––subsistence farming which relied on manual labour from the family. Cultural beliefs are still adhered to in rural settlements, most parents viewed girl-child as a problem which if left unmarried, may bring shame to the family: teenage pregnancy out of wedlock which is regarded as a taboo. The paper concludes that there is a need for the cultural reorientation and awareness on how rural dwellers view girl-child. Also, it is pertinent to introduce poverty reduction projects in rural areas and the establishment of schools closer to the people as well as imparting sex education
The study investigated issues relating to early girl-child marriage and familiesin Ezza North Local Government Area, Ebonyi State. Specifically it identifiedcauses of early girl-child marriage and problems associated with it. Descriptivesurvey research design was used. The population was made up of 75808married women. Samples of 280 young married women were used for thestudy. Questionnaire and focus group discussions (FGD) were used to collectdata. Data were analysed using mean .Nine causes were revealed whichinclude illiteracy, poverty, culture and tradition, among others as the causes ofearly girl-child marriage and ten problems including separation, divorce,sexual transmitted diseases, poverty among others are common among thewoman. Recommendations include, that Home economics Association incollaboration with non- governmental organizations should conduct awarenesscampaign on the implication of early girl-child marriage in the area of studyand that federal government of Nigeria should enforce law against early girl-child marriage. Girls education and sex education should be compulsory in thearea of study and Nigeria in general.
Early marriage, a marriage conducted before the age of 18, is now widely recognized to be deeply rooted in socio-cultural, economic and religious fabrics of society in which it prevails. This paper examines the knowledge, attitude and practice of the traditional and religious leaders towards girl child marriage in Sokoto State, Nigeria. The study relied heavily on the open-ended tradition of participatory and qualitative research tools, using specifically in-depth interviews (IDI). Interviews were conducted with a total of 48 respondents made up of 18 religious leaders and 30 traditional leaders. The study finds that there appears to be a marked difference between the attitude of rural and urban religious and traditional leaders towards early marriage. The urban religious leaders appear to have a more favorable attitude towards girl-child education which translates into delayed marriage until age 18. Enrolment and retention of girl child in formal school is the most neutral and non-controversial route to rising age at marriage.
Suleman Khalid, Ahmad Yahaya Maigemu, Aliyu Musa Jega
Background: Early marriage is a harmful practice affecting millions of children especially girls across the globe with short- and long-term social and public health consequences. It extensively affects females of poor financial status, no or low-educated families living in rural areas with poor social status, and is associated with frequent childbirth (<24 months apart), unwanted pregnancy, and abortions that predispose young girls to social stigma, maternal morbidity, and mortality. Objective: The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence, determinants factors, and consequences of early marriage and factors that could worsen them as well as ways to prevent the practice. Methods: A mixed method survey questionnaire was adopted for stratified random data sampling among the Urhobo young girls of secondary school and tertiary institutions level age, married women, community leaders, policy makers. Data were analyzed descriptively in percentages as obtained from the questionnaire on prevalence of early marriage as well as the health and psychosocial consequences. Results: Among the 381/500 respondents, 63.8% have forced marriages and 48.3% were before 18 years old. Health and social consequences of early marriage include spousal abuse (19.2%), vesicovaginal fistula (VVF), and pregnancy-and-birth complications (14.8%), among others were reported. Factors that worsen the consequences such as customs/sociocultural beliefs that prohibit the victims of early marriage from seeking family planning constituted 20.4%. Conclusion: The study has revealed a significant prevalence and determinant factor of early marriage among the Urhobos. Respondents regardless of their instructive foundation concurred that early marriage happens with grave outcomes such as poor education, psychosocial issues, pregnancy/birth confusions, spousal maltreatment, VVF and death.
Emmanuel Agbonomhen Agege, Joseph Onyedenyifa Odoko, John E. Moyegbone et al.
This qualitative study aimed to explore the lived experiences of victims of girl child marriage, an issue that persistently affects countless girls worldwide, and its impact on the victim’s education. Using a phenomenological approach, the study delves into the narratives of girls who have been married off at an early age, examining their perspectives on the impact of marriage on their education, personal development, and overall well-being emotions. Through in-depth interviews and thematic analysis, the study reveals the multifaceted nature of girl-child marriage and its profound impact on the lives of its victims. Girl child marriage victims experienced emotional and psychological distress, socio-economic and health-related challenges, as well as a disruption in their education. By giving voice to the experiences of these girls, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of the intricacies surrounding girl-child marriage and underscores the urgent need for targeted interventions and policy changes.
The project is my thesis in partial fulfilment of Multidisciplinary Master's Program in Demography at Stockholm University. The aim of this paper is to offer fresh insights into women's marriage patterns, specifically during adolesce following premarital pregnancy, as compared to their childless counterparts. Furthermore, it explores whether these differences have evolved over time, given the significant shifts in the norms governing marriage processes observed in various regions worldwide, including The Gambia. The STATA statistical software will be used to clean the dataset, perform descriptive and relevant regression analysis, example ordinary least square regression, survival analysis, fixed effect model etc.
Background: Childhood immunisation is one of the most effective public health interventions for reducing under-five morbidity and mortality globally. Despite its proven effectiveness, immunisation coverage remains suboptimal in many low- and middle-income countries, including Nigeria, where vaccine-preventable diseases continue to contribute significantly to childhood deaths. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of nursing mothers towards routine child immunisation and to identify factors associated with incomplete vaccination in Damaturu Metropolis, Yobe State, Nigeria. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional design was employed in ten selected primary healthcare facilities in Damaturu Metropolis, Yobe State, Nigeria, between March and May 2026. Two hundred nursing mothers with children aged 0-24 months were recruited using a multistage sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire adapted from validated KAP instruments. Knowledge, attitude and practice scores were computed, and descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages and means) were analysed using SPSS version 25. Results: Overall, 62.5% of mothers had adequate knowledge (mean score: 5.8/8). Major knowledge gaps included the number of pentavalent doses (56.0% correct), vaccination during mild illness (48.0% correct) and vaccine protection beyond two years (41.0% correct). Favourable attitudes were observed in 86.5% of mothers, but only 48.5% demonstrated good immunisation practice. Although 92.0% had ever taken their child for immunisation, only 61.0% reported full completion for the child’s age. Missed appointments were reported by 44.0% of mothers, mainly due to the child’s illness (38.6%), forgetfulness (25.0%) and distance to the facility (18.2%). Only 51.0% received reminders from health workers. Conclusion: Despite adequate knowledge and positive attitudes, immunisation practices remain suboptimal because of specific misconceptions, weak reminder systems and practical barriers. Targeted health education, reminder mechanisms and improved service accessibility are needed to close the KAP gap in Damaturu Metropolis.
Tijjani Mustapha, Umar Baba Hassan, Abdullahi Muhammad Daskum et al.
