GIRL CHILD MARRIAGE: THE OPINION OF IN-SCHOOL YOUNG GIRLS ON THE PREFERRED AGE FOR MARRIAGE IN PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA

Envuladu E.A.*, Umaru R.J., Iorapuu N.O., Osagie I.A., Mohammed A. and Okoh E.O.

ABSTRACT

Marriage for the girl child at the age lower than the legally stipulated 18 years is usually a force marriage and done without her consent, it is therefore a violation of human right and a discrimination against women. This study was aimed at assessing the opinion of young girls on their preferred age for marriage. It was a cross sectional study conducted among 4768 secondary school girls from 21 public schools in the three senatorial zones in Plateau State. The findings showed that the preferred age of marriage for most of the girls was between the ages of 19-25years (77.1%) and 91% said it is because early marriage will have an adverse effect on their education while 94.5% said it will have an adverse effect on their health. Place of residence and parental educational status was found to be statistically associated with the preferred age of marriage. This study concluded that young girls in this study preferred to get married after the age of 18years and this in addition to other reasons is because they want to be allowed to obtain education and have healthy lives

Keywords: Girl child, marriage, in-school, senatorial zones, Plateau State.