Ending Forced and Early Marriage in Cameroon
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When Girls’ Lives Matter: Ending Forced and Early Marriage in Cameroon Quality/Calidad /Qualité /Quality/Calidad /Qualité / When Girls’ Lives Matter: Ending Forced and Early Marriage in Cameroon This issue of Q/C/Q is dedicated to the memory of Tabita Damdam /Quality/Calidad/Qualité / Quality/Calidad/Qualité, a publication of models for replication, but as examples for the Population Council, presents case stud- learning. They demonstrate a responsiveness ies of high-quality, innovative programs in to broader social and economic transforma- sexual and reproductive health. Q/C/Q spe- tions; they highlight inventive and affordable cifically documents educational and clinic- ways to respond to clients’ needs; and they based programs that are making strides in reflect the self-critical and flexible attitude re- one or more of the following ways: (1) ad- quired for learning from program experiences dressing the central importance of gender dy- and research evidence. Although they are namics in shaping sexual and reproductive written as practical tools—in accessible style health outcomes; (2) improving the quality of with carefully selected detail—they also serve care of clinic-based services; and (3) reach- to inspire program leaders and policymakers ing disadvantaged and underserved groups. to enable clients to become more effective With rare exceptions, featured programs are guardians of their sexual and reproductive operating in developing countries. health, and by doing so contribute funda- Q/C/Q case studies — selected by an ex mentally to the achievement of such broader pert advisory group — are offered not as aims as the Millennium Development Goals. Production Staff Advisory Committee Editor: Debbie Rogow Gary Barker Katherine Kurz Assistant Editor and Production Coordinator: Carmen Barroso Laura Laski Jonah Stuart Brundage Judith Bruce Suellen Miller Copyeditor: Karen Tweedy-Holmes Batya Elul Saumya Ramarao Designer: Mike Vosika Susana Galdos Ann Starrs Translators: Edgar Peralta (Spanish) and Françoise Girard Cynthia Steele Geneviève Haines (French) Nicole Haberland Publication of this edition of Quality/Calidad/Qualité is made possible by support provided by the Ford Foundation; the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; and the Poverty, Gender, and Youth Pro- gram of the Population Council. Statements made and views expressed in this publication are solely the responsibility of the authors and not of any organization providing support for Q/C/Q. The Population Council—an international, nonprofit, nongovernmental organization—focuses on HIV and AIDS; poverty, gender, and youth; and reproductive health. Population Council, One Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, New York, NY 10017 USA tel: (212) 339-0500 fax: (212) 755-6052 e-mail: [email protected] http://www.popcouncil.org Cover photograph and all interior photographs by Andrea Lynch. The subject in the cover photograph is not associated with the program featured in this publication. Issue No. 20 ISSN: 1097-8194 Copyright © 2011 The Population Council, Inc. Any part of this publication may be copied or adapted to meet local needs without permission from the Population Council, provided that the parts copied are distributed free or at cost (not for profit) and that the source is identified. The Population Council would appreciate receiving a copy of any materials in which the text is used. Introduction by Sajeda Amin The past decade has witnessed a dramatic in- Why do traditions of early and forced crease in awareness about early and forced marriage persist in certain areas when, marriage of girls as a widespread violation globally, age at marriage has been rising? of human rights. The implications of such Efforts to analyze the influences on mar- marriages are now quite familiar: Girls are riage decision point to a combination of robbed of their childhood and the option of economic and social factors, especially at education, and are thrust instead into adult the nexus between poverty and gender in- roles, often including forced sex and pres- equality.2 For example, several studies from sure to bear children early. They are more India and Bangladesh report that parents of- likely to experience domestic violence ten view daughters — who generally move (Jensen and Thornton 2003) and frequently to their husband’s home and are not con- report unhappy conjugal relationships, even sidered potential sources of support during later in life. Because they are likely to marry parents’ old age — as an additional burden men much older than themselves, they are (Cain 1981; Das Gupta 1987). Hence, par- also more likely to spend a significant por- ents are motivated to marry them off early tion of their lives widowed, abandoned, or divorced; those who are widowed are even more vulnerable because they typically do Parents often view daughters — who not own property or have the ability to earn generally move to their husband’s a livelihood. In short, early and forced mar- home and are not considered riages exacerbate gender inequality and the likelihood of poor outcomes throughout life. potential sources of support during Although females’ age at marriage has parents’ old age — as an additional increased rapidly in most of the world, ear- burden. Hence, parents are motivated ly marriage remains a common practice in many regions. According to UNICEF (2005), to marry them off early to reduce in South Asia, 48 percent of females aged the number of mouths to feed. 15–24 were married before the age of 18; in Africa, the proportion is 42 percent; and in Latin America and the Caribbean it is 29 to reduce the number of mouths to feed. percent.1 Substantial variation exists within Some evidence also suggests that concerns these regions as well, with highest rates of about daughters’ safety, especially the fear child marriage typically among those coun- of out-of-wedlock pregnancy, may be a fac- tries with lowest levels of per capita income. tor in early marriage decisions. Moreover, For example, in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Ban- evidence suggests that early marriage prac- gladesh, Chad, Mali, and Niger, more than tices are also perpetuated by customs of 60 percent of girls marry before age 18 dowry or brideprice, which involve signifi- (UNICEF 2005). In some settings — such as cant payments directly from one family to pockets of Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Ni- another (Amin and Huq 2008). geria, India, and Nepal — extremely early Lessons from settings where age at mar- marriage and traditions of coercion in mar- riage has increased are inconsistent. In East riage remain common. Asia, the increase in age at marriage is corre- 1 Under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, a girl is considered a child until age 18, except in countries where the age of majority is lower. 2 Other social factors, such as ethnicity and disability, may also influence girls’ vulnerability to early or forced marriage. No. 20 • 1 lated with gains in education and workforce key in many places may be the promotion of participation that have given females greater schooling — particularly secondary school- choice regarding their partners. This effect, ing — combined with meaningful prospects however, is not consistent. In the Middle of positive livelihood opportunities. East, delayed marriage appears to have oc- Combining public education about the curred despite continued low education and negative effects of early and forced mar- lack of employment opportunities for wom- riage with positive preventive strategies en. Greater understanding of the causes and is also valuable. The Association for the consequences of marriage decisions in di- Struggle Against Violence Against Women verse settings is needed to find effective path- (ALVF, from its name in French) in Camer- ways out of traditional harmful practices. oon is one such example. ALVF provides The complex and varied nature of forced counseling, language and literacy train- and child marriage patterns is such that they ing, economic support, and empowerment have defied standard policy or program- activities for girls who have fled (or been matic actions. It is known that societies that thrown out from) early or forced marriages impose such marriages typically afford low to help them overcome their adversities. status to girls and women. Indeed, the vio- At the same time, the program seeks to lation of a girl’s basic rights at the moment bring about broader social change by high- of marriage is typically tied into a web of lighting in the public sphere — as well as mutually reinforcing violations throughout among parents and husbands — the plight her life cycle. For example, in parts of north of girls who were married early and/or by India, parents’ expectation that the birth of force. Hence, ALVF’s prevention strategy a girl will carry not only lower social status is based on a broad understanding of the but also high expenditures (for dowry pay- perceptions, expectations, and motivations ments at marriage) helps drive preference that sustain the practice of early and forced for boy as opposed to girl children, often marriage. That understanding is based on leading to unfavorable birth ratios. Less the experiences of the Cameroonian wom- investment in daughters often also leads en who work, or seek help, at ALVF, which to under-investments in their nutrition and are shared in the following case study. education, further perpetuating their de- pendence on men and their low status. References In the absence of broader social and eco- Amin, Sajeda and Lopita Huq. 2008. “Marriage nomic changes in women’s status, few in- considerations in sending girls to school in terventions have had an impact on harmful Bangladesh: Some qualitative evidence,” Pov- marriage practices. Legal remedies — those erty, Gender, and Youth Working Paper No. 12. that set a minimum age for marriage, grant Population Council: New York. women the right to consent to or refuse a Cain, Mead. 1981. “Risk and insurance: Per- marriage, or ban marriage payments such as spectives on fertility and agrarian change in brideprice and dowry — have generally had India and Bangladesh,” Population and Devel- opment Review 7(3): 435–474.