Submission ID 116996
| Issue/Objective | Child marriage (CM), a union under 18 years is illegal, yet remains a persistent issue in Bangladesh, driven by deeply entrenched social norms and cultural attitudes. Little is known about the most influential norms in parental CM decisions. |
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| Methodology/Approach | This study uses social norm theory to examine the role of social norms and contextual attitudes in CM decisions. Data were collected using a cross-sectional matched cohort study in Khulna Division, Bangladesh, from parents of unmarried (n=127) and married (n=127) adolescent girls with 1:1 matching on key household characteristics. Social norm measures included empirical and normative expectations, personal normative belief, sanctions, prudential reasons, and attitudes. Chi-square tests and logistic regression analyses were performed. |
| Results | While there were strong agreements among both groups on the empirical expectations (most girls in their community get married before 18 years of age; 97%) and normative expectations (most people in this community expect girls to marry before the age of 18 years 92%), CM is pervasive because of the gender norms and contextual attitudes. The adjusted logistic regression shows the parents of married adolescent girls were more likely to agree that CM can help prevent sexual violence (aOR [95% CI]: 3.18 [1.03, 4.32]), provide security (2.11[1.03,4.32] and protect family honor (1.88 [1.02, 3.48]). |
| Discussion/Conclusion | These findings highlight the role of gender norms, societal control over girls' sexuality, and negative attitudes in perpetuating CM. Addressing these harmful norms and attitudes, alongside concerns about safety and family reputation, is critical for designing effective interventions to break the cycle of CM. |
| Presenters and affiliations | Kyly Whitfield Mount Saint Vincent University Md Abul Kalam Emory University Chowdhury Abdullah Al Asif Save the Children Bangladesh Md Mehedi Hasan The University of Queensland Shirin Afroz Nutrition International Bangladesh Gopesh Chandra Das Helen Keller International Bangladesh Mai-Anh Hoang Helen Keller International |
