Date of Award

11-2023

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Health Policy and Management

First Advisor

Dr. Tazeen Saeed Ali

Second Advisor

Ms. Azmat Jehan

Third Advisor

Mr. Sarmad Soomar

Department

Community Health Sciences

Abstract

Background: In many countries, domestic violence is prevalent in early marriages. Globally, West and Central Africa have the highest rates of early marriage, with over 4 in 10 young women tying the knot before turning 18. Eastern and Southern Africa (32%) and South Asia (28%) have lowest child marriage rate, whereas in the Caribbean and Latin America it is around 21 per cent.There are few studies on the relationship between early marriage and domestic abuse. However, the few research conducted so far indicates a link between early marriage and domestic abuse. In 34 nations, a recent cross-sectional study looked at the relationship between child brides and domestic abuse. The two categories of early marriage used in this study were marriages occurring before the age of 15 and those occurring between the ages of 15 and 17. The study found that, after considering age, elementary education, rural living, and wealth quintile, child marriage was positively associated with both sexual and physical intimate partner abuse in all 34 nations. Another study looking at the Vietnamese population revealed that compared to those who married as adults, those who married under 18 had double the chance of suffering from intimate partner abuse. Hence, it can be seen Women who were married as children might have experienced interpersonal violence for a long time and may consider it “typical” or too late to act. Even if they observe an exacerbation, they might not prioritize action
Methods: It was a qualitative exploratory study. In-depth interviews (IDI’s) and Key Informant interviews (KII’s) were conducted until saturation was obtained. Participants for IDI’s were recruited through purposive and for KII’s snowball sampling was used and all the interviews were recorded. Transcriptions were open coded and framework and emerging content analysis was done to emerge codes, categories and themes. Ethical approval was obtained from Aga Khan University Ethics Review Committee.
Results: Domestic violence in early marriages is much higher than in those women who get married at late age. Results from the framework analysis showed that several driving forces and motivations triggered domestic abuse against girls getting married at an early age. Some of the reasons participants identified were at societal and community level including cultural beliefs about gender division of labor, some traditional marriage practices, poverty, adherence to traditional masculine norms and laws being not followed. Other explanations were at individual and family level issues comprising substance use, in-laws being dominant, young girls bound by several restrictions and patriarchal issues. Due to its perpetration, participants indicated that young married girls did not experience only sexual violence but also physical violence and verbal violence. The results showed that the experiences of married young girls following sexual violence and other forms of abuse were physical injuries, psychological problems, sexual, reproductive health problems, and suicidal ideations. These negative health outcomes significantly undermined their economic activities and depleted their health. Overall, the findings demonstrate that violence among married women is a chronic experience, with severe implications for their health and well-being. Thus, campaigns against marital violence and domestic abuse should make sexual violence a priority. It is also important that legal and policy frameworks are strengthened to address the etiology of early marriages in Sindh, Pakistan.
Conclusions: Bringing about significant changes in behavior and attitudes regarding early marriages necessitates active engagement of various stakeholders, including society, communities, and policymakers. Early marriages are closely intertwined with cultural norms, making it imperative to involve and mobilize the community, with the inclusion of religious leaders being paramount. To address this issue effectively, it is essential to tailor innovative interventions that respect the existing socio-cultural fabric, ensuring they are contextually relevant and capable of nationwide expansion.

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1

Last Page

96

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