International Journal of Law, Humanities & Social Science Volume 1, Issue 4 (August 2017), P.P. 25-40, ISSN (ONLINE):2521-0793; ISSN (PRINT):2521-0785 Patterns and circumstances of girl child marriages in Mount Darwin district in Zimbabwe Eniko Chenge1, Levison Maunganidze2 (World Vision, Mashonaland Central Province, Zimbabwe) 1 (Department of Social Sciences, Africa University, Zimbabwe) 2 Abstract: Girl child marriage is a major problem in Zimbabwe. The girl child marriages are affecting families in all the ten provinces of the country. Literature shows that child marriage is an international problem which is more prevalent in developing countries in Africa and Asia. Child marriage has several negative consequences on victims, therefore the United Nations declared it a violation of human rights. The aim of this study was to find out patterns and circumstances of girl child marriages in Mount Darwin district in Zimbabwe. This was a cross-sectional descriptive study involving fifty-two (52) women who were conveniently sampled from eight wards of the district with the highest prevalence of child marriage. Data was elicited using a self-report questionnaire and was analysed using frequencies and percentages. Findings were presented in the form of tables and figures. The study revealed that most spouses of victims of child marriages were older men in polygamous marriages and boys of their ages. Most girl children entered these marriages while staying with their parents and out of school. The majority (40%) of girls eloped into marriage after being impregnated while a third (32%) of them initiated their marriages and eloped without pregnancy. The factors which encouraged girls into early marriages were poverty, pressure from significant others (peers, parents and guardians), ignorance, lack of support from parents/guardians and influence of church doctrines. It was recommended that families, communities and institutions such as churches and schools be mobilised as agents of change, by creating awareness of the harmful impacts of child marriage. More research is needed to establish patterns and circumstances of girl child marriage in other parts of the country. More research of large magnitude is needed to establish patterns and circumstances of girl child marriage in Mt Darwin and in other parts of the country. Key Words: Patterns; circumstances; factors; child marriage; Mount Darwin. Research Area: Social Science Paper Type: Research Paper 1. INTRODUCTION Marriage is a universal social institution (UN, 1990) through which an adult male and an adult female generally involve in marriage relationship and acquire new social status as a husband and wife. Child marriage is a marriage of a child under 18 years of age. These marriages are very prevalent worldwide. Nour (2009) estimates that worldwide, over 60 million girls marry before they are 18 years old. Although research suggests that in countries like United States parents sometimes approve the marriage of girls aged 14 to 15 years, child marriage problem is more prevalent in developing countries (UNICEF, 2012). This trend was confirmed by Hassan (2014) who claims that 20-25% of the 14 million girls who are forced into marriage before the age of 18 years live in developing countries. The most affected developing countries are in South Asia, Central Africa and West Africa respectively (Walker, 2012). The prevalence of child marriage in South Asia is given as follows; Bangladesh 65%, www.ijlhss.com 25 | P a g e The patterns and circumstances of child marriages in Mount Darwin district in Zimbabwe Afghanistan 54%, India 48%, Sri Lanka 14% and Nepal, 7% (Mathur, 2003). Current child marriage statistics in the ten provinces of Zimbabwe are; Mashonaland Central 50%, Mashonaland West 42%, Masvingo 39%, Mashonaland East 36%, Midlands 31%, Manicaland 30%, Matabeleland North 27%, Harare 19%, Matabeleland South 18% and Bulawayo 10%. According to Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZimVAC) (2015), Mashonaland Central has the highest proportion (26%) of children out of school. 2. CONSEQUENCES OF CHILD MARRIAGE The justification for child marriage from the African perspective is to protect young girls from premarital sex, pregnancy outside of marriage, rape and even prostitution thereby enhancing the integrity of the family (Hassan, 2014). However, the reality is that girls who are forced to marry a person much older than their own age are put under piles of domestic chores and responsibilities; and they give birth in their early childhood risking the lives of both offspring and mothers. Makoni (2016) concluded that child marriage reinforces the notion of poverty and powerlessness stultifying the physical, mental, intellectual and social development of the girl child and heightens her social isolation. Sometimes, girls who are forced into early marriage are vulnerable to illness or death. Consequently, the United Nations declared that child marriage violates human rights and children’s rights. 3. PATTERNS OF CHILD MARRIAGES Patterns refer to forms of girl child marriages that include child-to-child, child-to- older man, polygamy or monogamy these differ markedly by age at marriage and by educational attainment. There are various forms of child marriage, depending on a community’s traditions. For example, in rural northeast Ethiopia, ulfilm is a practice by which a man kidnaps, hides and rapes a girl and then, as the father of her unborn child, can claim marriage. In South Africa, ukuthwala is a practice by which a girl or young woman is kidnapped by a man with the intention of compelling the girl’s family to endorse marriage negotiations. A common practice across Ghana, Benin and Togo, trokosi is the practice by which a young virgin girl who is oared to a local priest in exchange for the gods’ forgiveness when a relative (often a man) commits a crime (Girls Not Brides, 2015). According to Hassan (2014), child marriage may be seen by families as a way of protecting young girls from premarital sex, pregnancy outside of marriage, rape and even prostitution. By marrying a girl off early, the risk of uncertainty to her prospects or damage to a family’s honour is significantly removed, although not the physical, psychological and other risks to the girl herself. This justification for child marriage only makes sense where women and girls have no greater value than as repositories for family honour or where girls’ potential sexuality is seen as a risk that must be monitored and contained. 4. CIRCUMSTANCES OF GIRL CHILD MARRIAGES Circumstances refer to internal and external enabling environments that might lead to girl child marriages, for example, being out of school, pregnancy, staying with siblings or relatives. Tahir (2013) states that girls who are married off as children are forced to drop out of school. Drop-out rates seem to be associated with trends in child marriage. Child marriage reinforces the cycle of poverty and perpetuates gender discrimination, illiteracy, malnutrition as well as high infant and maternal mortality rates. According to International Centre for Research on Women (ICRW) (2007) study, any effort aimed at ending forced child marriage, must address how to strengthen girls’ education programmes to ensure that girls stay in school and learn enough for parents to consider it worthwhile postponing their marriage. Education is the single most important factor associated with girls marrying before the age of 18. The study by Nasrin and Rahman (2012), revealed the family’s monthly income as one of www.ijlhss.com 26 | P a g e The patterns and circumstances of child marriages in Mount Darwin district in Zimbabwe the most influential factors in determining the likelihood of early age into marriage and conception as well. For many poor families, marrying their daughter at an early age essentially is a strategy for economic survival; it means one less person to feed, clothe and educate. In Asia and Africa, the importance of financial transactions at the time of marriage also tends to push families to marry their daughters early. Jarallah, (2008), alludes that difficult financial situations have forced many women to resort to marriage as a way to escape poverty. In concurrence, Girls Not Brides (2015) states that where poverty is acute, parents may feel that giving a daughter in marriage will reduce family expenses, or even temporarily increase their income, in cases where a bride’s parents are paid a bride price. For example, in many sub-Saharan cultures parents get a high bride price for a daughter who is married near puberty. In Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Nepal, parents feel that their burden of paying a dowry at their daughter’s marriage will be lower if she is married at a young age. A girl from a poor household in Senegal is four times more likely to marry as a child than a girl from a rich household. In impoverished situations, parents see few alternatives for their daughters, aside from early marriage. The Ministry of Women and Child Development Government of India (2008), concurs that girls in the poorest households marry as early as 15 years of age. 5. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS It is evident from the section on circumstances that factors frequently associated with child marriage are poverty, religion, culture and tradition, gender inequalities, level of education, lack of alternatives to child marriage, lack of awareness of law and lack of political commitment (ICRW, 2007). Each of these factors is discussed a little bit more in this part of the paper. 5.1.Poverty Malhotra (2010) notes that globally child marriages are more common in poorer countries and households. For many poor families in these countries, marrying their daughters at an early age essentially is a strategy for overcoming economic burden (Johansson, 2015). As noted by Khanna et al. (2013) poor parents in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Nepal feel that their burden of paying dowry at their daughter’s marriage will be lower if married at a young age.