Authors : Alex Sarfo-Mensah; Michael Buabeng; Emmanuel Tettey; Esther Jessica Agyekumwaa Osei; Eliasu Ibrahim; Abijah Arkor Tetteh

Volume/Issue : Volume 9 - 2024, Issue 9 - September

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/359xvwbc

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/mp5wd7hc

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/IJISRT24SEP271

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Abstract : The purpose of the study was to investigate the factors of early marriage among teenage girls in the Jaman South Municipality of the Bono Region of Ghana. The research objective that guided the study were to investigate the social factors contributing to early marriage among teenage girls in the Jaman South Municipality, to find out the cultural factors contributing to early marriage among teenage girls in the Municipality, and finally, to identify the economic factors contributing to early marriage among teenage girls in the Municipality. A sample size of 150 was selected for the study through simple random sampling. A structured questionnaire was employed for data collection. Data was analysed using frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations. Findings revealed that inadequate parental education, frustration, peer pressure, sexual immorality, were some of the social factors contributing to early marriage. Also, the cultural factors identified included mode of dressing, beliefs, traditional milestone and customs. Unemployment, financial problem facing teenagers, inability to buy contraceptives emerged to be some of the economic factors contributing to early marriage among teenage girls in the Jaman South Municipality. It was however, recommended that community leaders and relevant stakeholders including school counsellors should organise intensive workshops and educational campaign programmes to sensitise parents and guardians on the effects of some cultural practices and how it can jeopardise the future of the teenage girls. It was concluded that the Girl-child unit in Ghana Education Service of the Jaman South Municipality in collaboration with school counsellors should organise regular education, awareness and sensitisation programmes for parents, guardians and teenage girls on the effects of early marriage and to be more responsible in providing basic needs to teenage girls to keep them in school. This will improve their academic performance, enhance their self-confidence, self-esteem and also secure a brighter future for them.

Keywords : Marriage, Early Marriage, Teenage Girls, Social Factors, Cultural Factors, Economic Factors.

References :

1. Adedokun, O., Tochukwu, V. & Adedeji, O. (2012). How to handle conflict in marriage. Ibadan: Agape Publication.
2. Ahonsi, B., Fuseini, K., Nai, D., Goldson, E., Owusu, S., Ndifuni, I., Humes, I., & Tapsoba, P. L. (2019). Child marriage in Ghana: Evidence from a multimethod study. BMC Women’s         Health, 19.  
3. Alvi, L. (2016). Methodology of educational research. New Delhi: Vikas Publishing House PVT ltd
4. Amin, S., Diamond, I., Naved, R. T., & Newby, M. (1998). Transition to adulthood of female garment-factory workers in Bangladesh. Studies in family planning, 185-200.
5. Asrese, G. (2014). Assessment of adolescents' communication on sexual and reproductive health matters with parents and associated factors among secondary and preparatory schools' students in Debremarkos town, North West Ethiopia. Reprod Health, 8(1), 2-8.
6. Bankole, A., Singh, S., Woog, V., & Wulf, D. (2004). Risk and protection: Youth and HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. New York: The Alan Guttmacher Institute.
7. Barnes, T. E.,  Colclough, C., Rose, P., & Tembou, M. (1998). Gender inequalities in primary schooling: The roles poverty and adverse cultural practice. International Journal of Educational Development, 20, 5-27.
8. Bayisenge, J. (2010). Early marriage as a barrier to girl’s education. Retrieved on, 1(10), 2010.
9. Bello, H. (2007). Environmental sanitation practices in the core of Ikorodu, Lagos State. Dissertation to the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Faculty of Environmental design and Management, Obafemi Awolowo University Ile Ife.
10. Boateng, J. D. (2018). Socio-economic status,    preschool education and pupils’ intellectual maturity in Ghana.  Retrieved on 11/04/2022 from http://www.rocare.org/grants/2010/grants2010gh1.pdf. 
11. Bruce, J., & Clark, S. (2004). The implications of early marriage for HIV/AIDS policy.
12. Bryman, A. (2008). Barriers to integrating quantitative and qualitative research. J Mixed Methods Res., 1, 8-22.
13. Bryman, K. (2004). Introduction to social research: Quantitative and qualitative approaches. London, England: Sage Publications Ltd.
14. Bunting, T. N (1999). Patterns and causes of school dropout in Arusha and Arumeru
    secondary schools. Unpublished M.A (Education) dissertation: University of Dar es Salaam.
15. Chandra-Mouli, V., Lane, C., & Wong, S. (2015). What does not work in adolescent sexual and reproductive health: a review of evidence on interventions commonly accepted as best practices. Global Health: Science and Practice, 3(3), 333-340.
16. Clark, S. (2004). Early marriage and HIV risks in sub‐Saharan Africa. Studies in family planning, 35(3), 149-160.
17. Cleveland, J. W. (2003). Does the new middle class lead today's social movements?. Critical Sociology, 29(2), 163-188.
18. Creswell, J. (2009). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
19. Creswell, J. W. (2014). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (4th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
20. Crossman, A. (2013). Job satisfaction of secondary school teachers. Educational Management Administration and Leadership, 34, 29-46.
21. De Smedt, G. (1998). Female dropout: A new perspective. Massachusetts: W E E A publishing center.
22. Dhana, A., Luchters, S., Moore, L., Lafort, Y., Roy, A., Scorgie, F., & Chersich, M. (2014). Systematic review of facility-based sexual and reproductive health services for female sex workers in Africa. Globalization and health, 10(1), 1-13.
23. Fisman, R., Iyengar, S. S., Kamenica, E., & Simonson, I. (2006). Gender differences in mate selection: evidence from a speed dating experiment .The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 121(2), 673–697.
24. Fraenkel, J. R., Wallen, N. E., & Hyun, H. H. (2012). How to design and evaluate research in education (8th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
25. Gay, L. R., Mills, G. E., & Airasian, P. W. (2011). Educational Research: Competencies for analysis and applications (10th ed.). MyEducationLab Series: Pearson.         books.google.com.gh/books?id=J5eJVwEACAAJ
26. Greene, M. (2014). Ending Child Marriage in a Generation. What Research is Needed.
27. Haberland, N., & Rogow, D. (2015). Sexuality education: emerging trends in evidence and practice. Journal of adolescent health, 56(1), S15-S21.
28. International centre for research on women [ICRW] (2007). How to end child marriage: Action strategies for prevention and protection. Washington DC:  International Center for Research on Women (ICRW).
29. Kabir, R. K. (2006).  Early marriage and childbearing: risks and consequences. In: Bott S, Jejeebhoy S, Shah I, Puri C, editors. Towards adulthood: exploring the sexual and reproductive health of adolescents in South Asia. Geneva: World Health Organization.
30. Kanyangu, R. M. (2014). Factors contribute to early marriage among teenagers in rural areas in Kasulu District Council (Doctoral dissertation, The Open University of Tanzania).
31. Laverty, H. (2016). Research in practice: Applied methods for the Social Sciences, 2, 33-59.
32. Le Fevre, J., Quiroga, R. & Murphy, E. (2004). Future options foreclosed: Girls who marry early. New York, USA: UNICEF,.
33. Lee‐Rife, S., Malhotra, A., Warner, A., & Glinski, A. M. (2012). What works to prevent child marriage: a review of the evidence. Studies in family planning, 43(4), 287-303.
34. Malhotra, A., Warner, A., McGonagle, A., & Lee-Rife, S. (2011). Solutions to end child marriage. Washington, DC: International Center for Research on Women.
35. Mathur, J., Dakwa, F. E., Chiome, C. & Chabaya, R, A. (2003). Poverty related causes of school dropout. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development January,. 3, No. 1 ISSN: 2226-6348.
36. Mbirimtengerenji, N. D. (2007). Is HIV/AIDS epidemic outcome of poverty in sub-saharan Africa?. Croatian medical journal, 48(5), 605.
37. Mertens, D. M. (2010). Research and evaluation in education and psychology: Integrating diversity with quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, Inc.
38. Meyers, C (2002). Data on adolescents on program planning: what we need, what we have and where to find it in Background document prepared by the Population Council for the UNFPA workshop on adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health: charting Directions for a second generation of programming, May 2002.
39. Moloku, S. (2000). Girl pupils’ dropout in secondary schools in Botswana: influencing factors prevalence and conquest. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 3, 81-90.
40. Nguyen, M. C., & Wodon, Q. (2015). Global and regional trends in child marriage. The Review               of Faith & International Affairs, 13, 3, 6-14.
41. Nordby, L. (2018). Gender-based violence in the refugee camps in Cox Bazar:-A case study of Rohingya women’s and girls’ exposure to gender-based violence.
42. Nour, S. J. (2009). Associations between early marriage and young women's marital and reproductive health outcomes: evidence from India. Int Perspect Sex Reprod Health, 36(3), 132–9.
43. Odhiambo, A. (2016). Victory Agaianst Child Marriage in Tanzania. Court Appeal Upholds 2016 Ruling Barring Marriage Before 18.
44. Owusu-Ekuful, W. (2015). Assessment of factors affecting female participation in senior high school education in Ghana; A case study of Asunafo North and Sunyani municipality and Kumasi Metropolitan area. Unpublished, Master of Science in development Policy and planning dissertation: Kwame Nkrumah University.
45. Patton, M. (2002). Qualitative research and evaluation methods. California: Sage Publishers.
46. Quick, H. E., & Hall, P. (2015). Gender, employment, and retirement quality: A life course approach to the differential experiences of men and women. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 3(1), 44-64.
47. Roomi, M. A., & Parrott, G. (2008). Barriers to development and progression of women entrepreneurs in Pakistan. The Journal of Entrepreneurship, 17(1), 59-72.
48. Santelli, J., Ott, M. A., Lyon, M., Rogers, J., Summers, D., & Schleifer, R. (2006). Abstinence and abstinence-only education: A review of US policies and programs. Journal of Adolescent health, 38(1), 72-81.
49. Saunders, M., Lewis, P., & Thornhill, A. (2012). Research methods for business students (5th ed.). Harlow: Pearson Education.
50. Sibanda, M. (2011). Married too soon: Child marriage in Zimbabwe. The Research Advocate Unit, 1-22.
51. Singh, A. K. A., & Samara, P. K. (1996). An analysis on dropout level of public secondary school in Kericho district in relation to selected schools characteristics. International Education studies, Vol. 6, pp.7.
52. UNICEF (2016). National strategic framework on ending child marriage in Ghana 2017-2026. Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection.
53. UNICEF. (2005). Early marriage, a harmful traditional practice: A statistical exploration, New York: UNICEF.
54. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) (2011). Early marriage: Child spouses. Florence, Italy: UNICEF.
55. Wodon, F. (2013). Poverty and the policy response to the economic crisis in Liberia. World Bank Study. Washington, DC: World Bank.