A Mixed Methods Study on Child Marriage in The Gambia

  • Adriana Kaplan Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
  • Beatriz Escaño Wassu-UAB Foundation, Spain
  • Júlia Perarnau Wassu-UAB Foundation, Spain
  • Segga Sanyang Wassu Gambia Kafo, The Gambia
  • Salieu J Kandeh Wassu Gambia Kafo, The Gambia
Keywords: Child marriage, The Gambia, Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices

Abstract

Child marriage is a human rights violation that is often rooted in strong gender inequalities (UNICEF, 2022). This article presents the results of a mixed methods study conducted in The Gambia, deepening understanding of why the practice remains widespread throughout the country and in West and Central Africa, which have one of the highest levels of child marriage in the world. The study explores the arguments and factors that come into play to defend or take a position against child marriage, establishing for this the differences between knowledge, attitudes and practices and taking into account different variables such as age, gender, ethnicity and region of residence.

Author Biographies

Adriana Kaplan, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain

Chair of Knowledge Transfer, Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology, Building B - Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 – Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Spain. E-mail: adriana.kaplan@uab.cat; Tel. +34 93 581 12 39; https://www.uab.cat/web/-1263801907341.html

 
Beatriz Escaño, Wassu-UAB Foundation, Spain

Fundación Wassu-UAB, L’Àgora (Edifici R), Plaça Cívica Campus Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona 08193 - Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Spain. E-mail: beatriz.escano@uab.cat; Tel. +34 673 294 118; https://www.uab.cat/fundacio-wassu/

Júlia Perarnau, Wassu-UAB Foundation, Spain

Fundación Wassu-UAB, L’Àgora (Edifici R), Plaça Cívica Campus Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona 08193 - Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Spain. E-mail: julia.perarnau@uab.cat; Tel. +34 673 294 118; https://www.uab.cat/fundacio-wassu/

Segga Sanyang, Wassu Gambia Kafo, The Gambia

Wassu Gambia Kafo, Kololi New Road, Kanifing Municipality, PO Box 4533 - Bakau, The Gambia. E-mail: segga.wgk@gmail.com; Tel. +220 733 75 83

 

Salieu J Kandeh, Wassu Gambia Kafo, The Gambia

Wassu Gambia Kafo, Kololi New Road, Kanifing Municipality, PO Box 4533 - Bakau, The Gambia. E-mail: salieu.wgk@gmail.com; Tel. +220 733 75 83

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If you have or would have a daughter, would you marry her off as a child? Distribution by ethnic group
Published
2022-12-12
Section
Articles