Child Marriage in Yemen: A Mixed Methods Study in Ongoing Conflict and Displacement

Abstract

Objectives: This study assesses the prevalence of and risk factors for child marriage in Yemen, which was experiencing a nationwide conflict at the time of the study. Study Design: We conducted a survey of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and host communities using a stratified multistage cluster sampling design. Each household included an interview with a female adult (n=1210), a household roster (n=8400), and one female adolescent interview (n=1210). We used multivariate logistic regression to assess the association between child marriage and various risk factors. We also used data from focus groups (n=411) and key informant interviews (n=30) to explore community perspectives and understand contextual factors relating to child marriage. Results: Prevalence of child marriage among IDP females aged 10-19 was 18.1% compared to 12.7% among hosts. In the regression model, being older (aOR=1.95), never attending school (aOR=3.94), place of origin of Saada (aOR=4.41), and unemployment of the female adult (aOR=2.84) showed increased odds of child marriage. Head of household unemployment (aOR=0.58) and completed higher education (aOR=0.42) showed decreased odds. Qualitatively, economic factors were cited as central factors in decision-making, both for host communities and even more so for IDPs. Perceptions of marriage readiness and negative consequences of child marriage were dependent on gender normative expectations. Conclusions: Displaced girls experience child marriage more than boys or host girls . Displacement effects economic security and household power dynamics, which affects marriage decision-making and girl s ability to self-advocate. Efforts to address child marriage in Yemen should include livelihood support, with awareness and conflict management components that start in pre-adolescence and include married and unmarried girls.

Conflict and Girl Child Marriage: Global Evidence

“…Protective factors against child marriage include better educational attainment and employment opportunities for women and girls. These may not only reduce the likelihood of child marriage (Hunersen et al, 2021;Jain & Kurz, 2007;Paul, 2019;Wodon et al, 2017) but may be the most important factors in determining age at marriage generally (Jain & Kurz, 2007). Minimum marriage age laws have also been shown to contribute to the reduction in child marriage, although laws alone are not sufficient to deter from the harmful practice (Maswikwa, Richter, Kaufman, & Nandi, 2015).…”

Incidence of child marriage among refugees and internally displaced persons in the Middle East and South Asia: evidence from six cross-sectional surveys

“…In Iraq, the sample was stratified into three governorates and three populations—Iraqi Kurdish host communities, Iraqi IDPs and Syrian refugees, and clusters were selected in each governorate in both camp and non-camp settings with probability proportional to size. A detailed overview of study designs implemented in each setting are described elsewhere and compiled in online supplemental file 1 for ease of reference 14–18…”

Speaking Up: The role of women in building peace in Yemen

“…As of 2017, the rate of females aged 20-24 who were married before the age of 18 reached 32%, while 9% were married before the age of 15. 11 As gathering accurate data is challenging in conflict-affected contexts, these rates are likely to be much higher.…”