Determinants of child marriage among rural women in the West Guji Zone, Southern Ethiopia, 2024: a community-based cross-sectional study
Summary & Objectives
This study examines the prevalence and determinants of child marriage among rural women of reproductive age in the West Guji Zone of southern Ethiopia, a setting where early marriage remains widely practiced and under-documented. Using community-based survey data collected in 2024, the study aims to quantify the magnitude of child marriage and identify the key socio-demographic, economic, and contextual factors associated with marriage before age 18 in rural contexts
Findings
Nearly half of women in the study area were married before the age of 18, with a mean age at first marriage of 17.5 years, indicating that child marriage remains highly prevalent among rural women. Child marriage was more common among women from poorer households, those whose fathers had little or no formal education, and those with limited exposure to media. Lack of awareness of the legal minimum age of marriage and living arrangements prior to marriage, particularly living with relatives rather than parents, were also associated with higher odds of early marriage. By contrast, women who reported having a role in deciding their own marriage were significantly less likely to have married before 18. The findings further highlight the role of entrenched social norms, including beliefs linking puberty, virginity, and family honour to readiness for marriage, in sustaining early marriage practices
Recommendations
Efforts to reduce child marriage in rural Ethiopia should prioritise improving household economic security, expanding girls’ and parents’ access to education, and increasing community awareness of the legal age of marriage. Interventions should strengthen girls’ agency in marital decision-making and expand access to mass media and information in rural areas. Engaging parents, local elders, and religious leaders is essential to challenge norms that equate puberty and virginity with marital readiness, while aligning community-level action with existing legal frameworks to delay marriage beyond age 18
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