An assessment of the effects of child marriages on adolescent girls in Zimbabwe: the case of Seke district in Zimbabwe

Abstract

Global trends of early adolescent girl’s marriage have been escalating worldwide and mostly the impacts and effects are felt in developing countries. In many developing countries, child marriage is attributed to poverty, gender discrimination and lack education, peer pressure for instance in Seke District. District Household Survey (DHS) conducted in Seke District in 2007 found that 40 % of adolescent girls are being married before the age of 18 despite the existence of the Prohibition of Customary Marriage Act (chapter 5:07) as of 2004. In Seke District girls under 15 years of age are more likely to die during pregnancy and childbirth due to lack of child birth skills and mostly they experience substandard child delivery. The goal of this study is to conduct an analysis on the effects of early child marriage in Seke District. The methodology engaged on this analysis was mainly based on primary data and the involvement of caregivers. The author argues that early marriage violates the human rights of children that are coerced and violated by parents without the fairness of weighing the long term developmental effects on the child. The social, mental and scholarly development of the girl child are dissatisfied the moment they are engaged in child marriage. The main aim of the study is to assess the effects of child marriages on adolescent girls in Seke District