Early marriage is defined as the process of being joined in union with a person of the opposite sex when one is not yet mature physically, socially and biologically to consent or partake of the responsibilities that come with the union. Early marriage usually involves girls younger than 18 years of age. Results from the 2008-09 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey show that among urban women aged 25 - 49 years, at least 30 percent of them got married before attaining age 18. In the rural areas the proportion was slightly above 50%.
Concern over early marriage arises from the potential harm it occasions on young women who experience it. This practice has been associated with; polygamous unions, high school drop-out rates, low levels of labour force participation, high fertility and high adolescent and maternal mortality. It is also known to contribute to the increasing prevalence of HIV among the youth.
Concern over early marriage arises from the potential harm it occasions on young women who experience it. This practice has been associated with; polygamous unions, high school drop-out rates, low levels of labour force participation, high fertility and high adolescent and maternal mortality. It is also known to contribute to the increasing prevalence of HIV among the youth.
Why does early marriage take place and can something be done to prevent it? This article looks at the prevalence and consequences of early marriage in Kenya and suggests programmatic and policy level action to encourage a delay in sexual debut, age at first marriage and age at first birth.
Understanding early marriage in Kenya
Marriage in the traditional Kenyan context is defined as a rite of passage from childhood to adulthood that every individual is expected to undergo in his or her lifetime, and the integral purpose of this institution is to widen the kinship network of the individual through procreation. In most societies, marriage has a strong influence on fertility because it influences the length of women’s exposure to the risk of conception. In this regard, age at first marriage is an important indicator for understanding variations in human fertility.
Marriage in the traditional Kenyan context is defined as a rite of passage from childhood to adulthood that every individual is expected to undergo in his or her lifetime, and the integral purpose of this institution is to widen the kinship network of the individual through procreation. In most societies, marriage has a strong influence on fertility because it influences the length of women’s exposure to the risk of conception. In this regard, age at first marriage is an important indicator for understanding variations in human fertility.
More recently, marriage timing has been associated with higher prevalence of HIV and AIDS and has implications for the organization of the family and gender relations in society. In addition, the timing of marriage is also of concern because of the potential harm young women face when they get married early.
Why do early marriages occur?
When girls are married at a young age, it is often due to poverty, dowry pressures, parental concerns about premarital sex and pregnancy, or other economic or cultural reasons. In Kenya, poverty and other cultural, religious and social barriers are responsible for two million boys and girls not being in school.
When girls are married at a young age, it is often due to poverty, dowry pressures, parental concerns about premarital sex and pregnancy, or other economic or cultural reasons. In Kenya, poverty and other cultural, religious and social barriers are responsible for two million boys and girls not being in school.
Cultural practices over the years have contributed to the unequal treatment of the girl child when compared to the boy child. The unequal power relations between the boy and the girl child have led to discrimination against the girl child in access to education. In many instances the girl child is expected to remain home and assist in the household chores while the boy child pursues his education. This is mainly because girls are viewed as a source of wealth thereby encouraging early marriage so that the dowry paid can be used to improve the family economic status.
- Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), which entails removing some or all of the female genitalia, although banned in Kenya continues to be practiced on a wide scale by the some communities in the country. FGM is considered as a rite of passage from childhood to adulthood and therefore girls who have undergone this practice, their young age not withstanding, are viewed as ready for marriage thereby giving rise to child brides. In Kenya, 15% of females aged 15 to 19 years, and 21% of females aged 20 to 24 years have undergone FGM.
- Poverty often triggers early entry into marriage, motherhood and family establishment thus denying young people greater prospects for further career development. The youth are potential future leaders and are vital human capital for present and future development through family formation and participation in the labour force. It is estimated that among 13.7 million youth in Kenya (in 2011), 7.6 million live in poverty. Among the poor households, the education of girls is usually given a low priority.
Dangers of early marriages
For many young girls, marriage marks the beginning of their sexual life and an increased social isolation, as girls typically leave their homes and childhood villages, losing contact with friends and peers. Studies have found that girls who get married early have many disadvantages related to health, social, and economic spheres, hampering their ability to negotiate their reproductive and broader lives, including the needs of their children.
For many young girls, marriage marks the beginning of their sexual life and an increased social isolation, as girls typically leave their homes and childhood villages, losing contact with friends and peers. Studies have found that girls who get married early have many disadvantages related to health, social, and economic spheres, hampering their ability to negotiate their reproductive and broader lives, including the needs of their children.
- Health risks: Marriage for many girls is the beginning of frequent and unprotected sexual activity. The younger the bride, the more likely she is to be a virgin. Frequency of sexual intercourse among married girls is far higher than among unmarried sexually active girls. Married girls, under pressure to become pregnant, are likely to face the risks of childbirth yet their bodies are not ready to go through pregnancy and childbirth. This often leads to the pregnant girls dying during child birth or losing the infant due to prolonged labour. Girls who get married early have a distinct, and in some settings, substantial risks of acquiring HIV. Child brides have frequent, unprotected sex, often with an older partner. Older males are more likely to be sexually experienced and may thus have a higher risk of being HIV-infected.
- Low education attainment and socio-economic empowerment: Across the world and and also in Kenya, the percentage of girls married by age 18 decreases as the number of years of schooling a girl has received increases. This means therefore that girls who marry early have not gone through the school learning cycle. Such girls then have low educational attainment and few schooling opportunities. Women who experience early marriage hardly attend school and as a result they have less household and economic power than their counterparts who get married later in life. This means that girls who get married early have less decision-making power and often live with little authority under the supervision of their new mothers-in-law. These girls are therefore at a greater risk of gender based violence in some settings.
The government of Kenya has progressively put in place policies aimed at delaying marriage as well as increasing the average age at first sexual debut and first childbirth. These policies by their nature directly impact on the age that girls get married without expressly defining the age. In 1983, the president of Kenya issued a decree against FGM. Ten years later in 1993, following the United Nations Declaration on
Elimination of all forms of Violence against Women, Kenya developed a National Plan of Action to eliminate FGM.
In 2000, Kenya enacted a law known as the Children’s Act. The primary purpose of this law was to enhance the protection of children in the country. This law states that no person shall subject a child to female circumcision, early marriage or other cultural rites, customs or traditional practices thatare likely to negatively affect the child’s life, health, social welfare, dignity, physical or psychological development.
Later in 2010, Kenya promulgated a new constitution that declared education as a basic right and made provision for free and compulsory education for all children in the country. Some specific articles of this constitution obligate both the state and the parents to facilitate acquisition of quality basic education by all children.
Elimination of all forms of Violence against Women, Kenya developed a National Plan of Action to eliminate FGM.
In 2000, Kenya enacted a law known as the Children’s Act. The primary purpose of this law was to enhance the protection of children in the country. This law states that no person shall subject a child to female circumcision, early marriage or other cultural rites, customs or traditional practices thatare likely to negatively affect the child’s life, health, social welfare, dignity, physical or psychological development.
Later in 2010, Kenya promulgated a new constitution that declared education as a basic right and made provision for free and compulsory education for all children in the country. Some specific articles of this constitution obligate both the state and the parents to facilitate acquisition of quality basic education by all children.
Programme responses to early marriages
The Government, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Faith Based Organizations (FBOs) and some
individuals have put in place various programmes that aim to curb incidents of early marriages in the country. Here below are some of the activities that are being implemented by these organizations;
individuals have put in place various programmes that aim to curb incidents of early marriages in the country. Here below are some of the activities that are being implemented by these organizations;
- Alternative rites of passage have been used among the pastoral communities to ensure the girls are rescuedfrom FGM and early marriage. Rescue shelters have been put up and in the process educational institutions set up to continue to give girls saved from FGM and early marriages a home and much needed education. This is coupled with advocacy and sensitisation efforts that aim to discourage these communities from practicing FGM and early marriages.
- The Kenya Vision 2030 recognizes education as key in facilitating both social and economic development. In this regard the Government has continued to invest heavily in the education sector while providing free primary and day secondary school education. In the arid and semi arid areas, free boarding schools have been instituted in both primary and secondary schools and bursaries provided by the government to encourage education for all. School feeding programmes have been put in place in some communities as a way to encourage children to remain in school.Various organisations have also joined efforts to supplying free sanitary towels to girls in some schools especially in poverty stricken areas of the country. All the above measures are aimed at ensuring that children from poor households have access to education.
The outlawing of FGM and early marriages coupled with the above programme responses have contributed to a reduction in these practices and an improvement in the well-being of the girl child. Despite this contribution, more needs to be done to eliminate incidents of early marriages in Kenya.
Policy and programme implications
The prevalence of early marriages in Kenya is an issue of great concern as it impacts negatively on the future of a considerable segment of the country’s population. Large regional disparities in early marriages exist. This poses major challenges to socio-economic development of the country. Early marriages are prevalent in the arid and semi-arid lands, urban informal settlements, pastoral communities and communities where female genital cut is still practiced. In order to reduce and consequently eliminate early marriages in Kenya, the existing policies against this practice need to be fully enforced.
The prevalence of early marriages in Kenya is an issue of great concern as it impacts negatively on the future of a considerable segment of the country’s population. Large regional disparities in early marriages exist. This poses major challenges to socio-economic development of the country. Early marriages are prevalent in the arid and semi-arid lands, urban informal settlements, pastoral communities and communities where female genital cut is still practiced. In order to reduce and consequently eliminate early marriages in Kenya, the existing policies against this practice need to be fully enforced.
At the programme front, more needs to be done urgently in terms of advocacy and sensitization to discourage the practice. This should be supported by efforts to reduce poverty and ensure access to education for all children in the country. For this to be successful, all stakeholders should be involved in the process including young people. These efforts should also be monitored closely to ensure that they are producing the desired effect.
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