Child marriage in Ghana: evidence from a multi-method study

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Public Health
• Demography

Background:

• Child marriage persists as a significant issue in Ghana.
• Existing efforts to combat child marriage lack empirical evidence on its predictors, norms, and practices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the predictors, norms, and practices associated with child marriage in Ghana.
• To provide empirical evidence to support interventions aimed at curbing child marriage.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative and qualitative data.
• Analyzed data from the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS) using logistic regression.
• Conducted Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) in the Central and Northern regions for thematic analysis.

Main Results:

• 20.68% of girls in the quantitative sample were married as children.
• Girls never attending school (OR, 3.01) were more likely to marry as children; higher wealth quintiles showed decreased likelihood (OR, 0.32-0.59).
• Poverty, teenage pregnancy, cultural norms (betrothal, exchange of girls), and social pressure were identified as drivers of child marriage.

Conclusions:

• Socio-economic factors (education, poverty) and cultural norms significantly influence child marriage in Ghana.
• Interventions should focus on school retention, preventing teenage pregnancy, economic empowerment, and enforcing child marriage laws.
• Addressing socio-cultural norms and engaging stakeholders through tailored advocacy are crucial to ending child marriage.