Understanding the Agony of Child Brides from Low Resource Family Settings in Nigeria: Implication for Social Work Engagement

Abstract

The involvement of under-18s in legal unions has become a topical human rights concern. It appears to be more prevalent among female children from low-resource family settings, manifesting as another shade of gender inequality. The consequences of child marriages are enormous, affecting the psychosocial, physical and health status of victims. This study details the experiences of victims of child marriages, with concerns about females from low-resource family settings in Nigeria. The study employed a qualitative method of data collection utilizing Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) to elicit data from 12 female participants who are currently married and aged below 18 years and four renowned women residing in the community who are conversant with the issue in Enugu, Nigeria. Findings revealed that child marriage still prevails, though with the full consent of some girls, whereas others were lured. The result suggests that child marriage is adopted as a cover-up strategy by parents when dealing with poverty/teenage pregnancy. Other factors exacerbating child marriage were social norms, family size, structure, ignorance, deception, lack of support services and poverty level. Identified consequences of child marriage were health hazards, physical, emotional and financial difficulties. Coping strategies used by victims of child marriage were attending religious gatherings, adopting traditional medication/birth control methods and engaging in petty income-yielding businesses. Assistance for child brides came only from religious groups and good-spirited community members. Social workers’ engagement in the fight towards ending child marriage in Nigeria was not visible owing to poor involvement in child protection services. The study therefore recommends intensified efforts by social workers and the Nigerian government to enforce policies that will protect the girl-child, challenge the social norms and mitigate gender-based discrimination and violence. Government and non-governmental organizations in collaboration with social workers should brace-up efforts to ensure that welfare packages trickle down to child brides and ultimately end child marriage in Nigeria.