Child Marriage in Bangladesh: Trends and Determinants

Abstract

This study examines the trends and determinants of child marriage among women aged 20-49 in Bangladesh. Data were extracted from the last six nationally representative Demographic and Health Surveys conducted during 1993-2011. Simple cross-tabulation and multivariate binary logistic regression analyses were adopted. According to the survey conducted in 2011, more than 75% of marriages can be categorized as child marriages. This is a decline of 10 percentage points in the prevalence of child marriage compared with the survey conducted in 1993-1994. Despite some improvements in education and other socioeconomic indicators, Bangladeshi society still faces the relentless practice of early marriage. The mean age at first marriage has increased by only 1.4 years over the last one and half decades, from 14.3 years in 1993-1994 to 15.7 years in 2011. Although the situation on risk of child marriage has improved over time, the pace is sluggish. Both the year-of-birth and year-of-marriage cohorts of women suggest that the likelihood of marrying as a child has decreased significantly in recent years. The risk of child marriage was significantly higher when husbands had no formal education or little education, and when the wives were unemployed or unskilled workers. Muslim women living in rural areas have a greater risk of child marriage. Women's education level was the single most significant negative determinant of child marriage. Thus, the variables identified as important determinants of child marriage are: education of women and their husbands, and women's occupation, place of residence and religion. Programmes to help and motivate girls to stay in school will not only reduce early marriage but will also support overall societal development. The rigid enforcement of the legal minimum age at first marriage could be critical in decreasing child marriage.

“Those who care much, understand much.” Maternal perceptions of children's appetite: Perspectives from urban and rural caregivers of diverse parenting experience in Bangladesh

“…A recent study based on the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey data found that young, first-time mothers from rural areas were more likely to have an underweight child (Islam, Islam, Bharati, Aik, & Hossain, 2016). Although the trend of adolescent marriage and corresponding early motherhood is decreasing in Bangladesh (Hossain, Mahumud, & Aik, 2016;Kamal, Hassan, Alam, & Ying, 2015), it is clear that young mothers in this context can benefit from additional health system supports and resources to help improve appetite recognition.…”

Ending Child Marriage: Battling for a Girl's Right to Choose

“…Child marriage has been acknowledged as a complex public health concern persisting for centuries together across heterogeneous settings [1]. It has been predominantly attributed to the prevalent gender inequality, sociocultural practices & traditions (like marrying a girl before they reach puberty will bring blessings to families or minimize the risk of sexual violence / pregnancy or any other kinds of disgrace to the family), and poverty (as head of the household often arranges the marriage of their young daughters to reduce the burden of feedingclothing-educating the number of children) in the society [1,2].…”

“…The current trends on the child marriage suggest that in the second decade of the 21 st century, in excess of 140 million girls (or 0.039 million girls every day) will become child brides, of which almost 50 million will be under the age of 15 years [3]. Even though, child marriage is a global issue, it is extremely prevalent in the rural areas (twice more common than urban areas), where girls have limited opportunities for individual development, especially among the nations from the South Asian region (50% of young girls) and sub-Saharan African region (33% of young girls) [2,3]. Furthermore, the highest rates of child marriage are in African nations, nevertheless India has the most number of child marriages due to its sheer population [3].…”

“…Child marriages have been identified as a threat to the entire society as it makes them susceptible to intimate partner violence & sexual abuse, persistent discrimination & violation of human rights, depriving the young girls from education, health and long-term prospects, and even augments the risk of developing a complication during pregnancy and childbirth before they are physically and psychologically ready (leading cause of mortality in girls aged 15-19 years in developing nations) [1,2,4]. In-fact, in most of the poor nations, it has been observed that most of the young girls, irrespective of their age, are deliberately coaxed to demonstrate their fertility after marriage, and hence not allowed to use contraceptives [1,4].…”

“…Furthermore, young girls have no power to refuse sex and even are devoid of resources or legal or social support services to come out of an abusive marriage [1,5]. In addition, there is a definitive risk of infant deaths, child malnutrition, maternal deaths, and depression/suicidal tendencies owing to the repetitive exposure to violence and abuse [2,5]. All these factors impose a significant burden on the health system and enhance the cost of child marriage on the health system as well as on the households [1,2].…”