Voice Without Choice? Investigating Adolescent Girls’ Agency in Marital Decision-making in Niger
Objectives
The study aimed to explore how adolescent girls in Niger perceive their own agency in marital decision-making. It sought to understand the social and structural factors that shape these perceptions, including family expectations, community norms, and the opportunities available to girls.
Findings
Girls described marriage decisions as occurring within a highly constrained environment that prioritises parental consent, community approval and strict expectations of obedience. Their sense of agency was further limited by restricted educational and economic opportunities, gendered household roles and social norms that promote a narrow and early window for marriage. Many girls expressed motivations to conform to these norms, suggesting that pressures to marry early are both externally enforced and internally accepted. The findings show that girls’ agency is deeply embedded within social structures that leave little room for independent decision-making.
Recommendations
Efforts to delay child marriage in Niger should address both the broader norms that encourage early marriage and the internalised expectations that shape girls’ motivations. Interventions need to engage families and communities to shift social approval pathways while expanding meaningful opportunities for girls through education, skills and supportive networks. Approaches that strengthen girls’ confidence and capacity to participate in decisions are essential but must be paired with community-level strategies that change the conditions limiting their choices.
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