1) The study found that 13% of girls surveyed in Ethiopia were married by age 19, and 9% had their first child. Qualitative interviews revealed that 5 of 15 case study girls had married and had their first child. 2 were confirmed to have undergone FGM. 2) Early marriage often results from a complex interplay of factors including poverty, parental death or illness, pressure to support the family, and escape poor living situations or overwork. It provides an option when girls do not continue their education or paid work. 3) While advocacy and awareness efforts have helped to reduce child marriage rates, resistance still exists due to concerns about pre-marital sex, pregnancies, and girls'

2. CHILD MARRIAGE AND
FGM/C IN ETHIOPIA
Yisak Tafere
Lead Qualitative Researcher
Young Lives Ethiopia
National Girl Summit 2015
Data and Evidence
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia June 25th, 2015

3. BACKGROUND
• Young Lives, core funded by DFID and run by Oxford University, is Childhood study
over 15 years since 2001 in four countries: Ethiopia, India, Peru and Vietnam
• In Ethiopia: 3000 children (2000 born in 2000/1 – younger cohorts; and 1000 born in
1994/95-older cohorts )
• Survey in 20 sites from Tigray, Amhara, Oromia, SNNPR, and Addis Ababa
• Qualitative in 5 five sites with 100 children (50 younger and 50 older cohorts)
• 4 rounds of survey and qualitative studies carried out
• As the study follows the overall life experiences of children, Child Marriage and
FGM/C emerged as important issues

4. DATA
• The 2013 survey round 4 show
– 13% of the Survey girls married by
19 and 9% have first child
• The 2011 and 2014 qualitative sub
studies
– 5 of the 15 girls from the Qual
study have married and have their
first child; 2 confirmed FGC before
marriage

5. MARRIAGE AND FERTILITY ACROSS THE
4 COUNTRIES

6. ONE IN SIX YOUNG WOMEN MARRIED BY AGE
OF 19
3
21
24
7
10
19
8
21
3
Addis
Ababa
Amhara Oromia SNNP Tigray Rural Urban Bottom
Tercile
Top
Tercile
Region Place of
residence
Tercile of wealth
index

7. FAMILY CIRCUMSTANCES MATTER:
MARRIAGE AS ESCAPE?
3 out of the 5 married case study children had lost their father and
the fifth the father was not supporting the household.
• Beletech was a double orphan living with her aunt; she was
overworked as the only girl, and eloped at 17.
• Fatuma’s was living with her mother at her mother’s aunt but
they did not get along; getting married meant she could leave;
her mother said she got married: To escape poverty and other
problems
• Ayu’s father was a drunkard and was in conflict with her mother
and did not support the family. Ayu was overworked and
marriage meant a change
• Sesen married a man whom she knew in paid work in crusher
plant; family informed and agreed; provided dowry and housing
–

8. PARENTAL PRESSURE
• Haymanot got married at 16 against her will since her mother was ill
and wanted to see her daughter married and secure.
I asked my mother to stop negotiating with the elders. I begged her to
work and help her for some time up until she gets well. I also asked her
to delay the marriage as I was too young. But she worried that she was
getting very sick and she wanted to see my marriage before something
bad happened. Then, I said ok.
• At 17, she gave birth to first child, but soon divorced her mother
claimed the in-laws believed the marriage was ‘economically
unmatched’ Currently, lives with poor mother doing paid work.

9. WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED
• Early marriage results from a complex interplay between community, household
and individual factors
• differences in prevalence in part related to urban-rural, regional variation as well
as cultural practices
• Early marriage is clearly partly linked to poverty, but in addition to wealth, family
circumstances notably parental death and illness matter.
• Early marriage is option to poor educational progression and paid work to support
families.
• Marriage can also be an escape route from family pressures and overwork.

10. TRENDS OF CHANGE: MEDIAN OF FIRST
MARRIAGE BY AGE 15 (CSA 2012)
8
16.3
22.7
28.6
31.1
37.1
39.4
18.9
17.4 16.6 16.4 15.8 15.6
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
15-19 20-24 24-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49
% married by fifteen median age at first marriage

11. CHANGES AND RESISTANCE• FORCES FO FORCES FOR
FORCES OF CHANGES RESISTANCE TO CHANGE
• Strong advocacy (constitution, laws, ..)
• more in urban areas state, media, NGOs
• Strong condemnation
• officials, women’s association leaders,
• teachers, health workers
• Clear awareness of caregivers, girls and boys
• Teaching in schools, health risks, aware of
penalties.
• wage labour; girls choices
• Caregivers concern pre-marital sex detrimental
consequences
– Pregnancy, Abortion, child out of
wedlock, break with parents and loss of
their support and resources
• concern about voluntary abductions (elopement)
(Oromia)
• Concern about girls’ schooling notably going to
urban areas
• Suggestions age threshold be brought down to
16 girls
– sexually active and risks for good
marriage, abortion….

12. PROMOTING CHANGE
• Attitudinal Changes:
– Working with girls through schooling, clubs
– Changing attitudes of boys and men
– Working with parents and community leaders
• Addressing poverty:
– Options for girls who drop out of school.[most dropouts marry early]
– consider opportunities and constraints for adolescent girls in education,
employment and migration.
• Imposing legislation but may lead to clandestine practices with increased health
risks.