Early Age Marriage in Ethiopia - Essay Example

Early Age Marriage in Ethiopia: Annotated Bibliography Alemu, Bogalech. “Early Marriage in Ethiopia: Causes and Health Consequences.” Exchange on Hiv/aids, Sexuality and Gender. (2008): 4-6. Print. The main purpose of the research paper is to check study the harms caused by early marriages, particularly in Ethiopia. According to experts in gender studies, early marriage is one of the most harmful practices because it harms the girls and robs them of several life opportunities. According to this article: It [early marriage] also reinforces other forms of gender-based violence and problems. Early marriage is mostly common in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. It is rampant in Ethiopia, although prevalence varies from one region to another. At the national level, 62% of Ethiopian women aged 20-49 get married before the age of 18. (4) These numbers alone provide the readers a shocking realization of how widespread early marriages are in Ethiopia. This may be a short article, but it definitely provides strong, concise, and accurate data regarding these early marriages. It also goes along well with the other chosen sources, thus strengthening the main points that will be discussed in the research paper. One of the good points in this article that makes it distinct from the other sources for the research paper is its discussion regarding the concern for HIV/AIDS related problems that occur in early marriages. Another valuable insight to be gained from this paper are the recommendations regarding strategies to be implemented to slowly reduce, and ultimately eliminate these problems of early marriages. The article, while short as mentioned earlier, obviously came from a well-informed research if one would look at the references, and is therefore a good addition to the other sources to be used in the research paper. Early Marriage: Child Spouses. Florence, Italy: Unicef Innocenti Research Centre, 2001. Print. This article aims to present how common are early marriages in different societies, particularly the poor ones. It presents how poverty serves as a major factor for such marriages to exist in a particular society. Furthermore, it aims to present the harmful effects of these practices. It also aims to suggest ways to end early marriages once and for all. The digest states that: Our intention is to raise awareness of the situation and, where necessary, to stimulate action. Where there is insufficient data on the practice and repercussions of early marriage, researchers and officials in both government and civil society are encouraged to initiate research in this area. (1) Also, while it may not focus merely in Ethiopia, it can provide a view of the bigger picture of the incidence of early marriages in the different societies in the world. It will surely be useful for the research paper because it will help the researcher compare the different factors at play in early marriages from other societies, and then compare those factors to those at play in Ethiopia. Information such as early marriage as a strategy for economic survival, protecting girls, pressures for early marriages, legal sanctions for such unions, disadvantages of such unions particularly for girls, and the call for gender equality in marriage are good points to include in the research paper. Gossaye, Yegomawork, Negussie Deyessa, Yemane Berhane, Mary Ellsberg, Maria Emmelin, Meaza Ashenafi, Atalay Alem, Alemayehu Negash, Derege Kebede, Gunnar Kullgren, and Ulf Hogberg. “Women's Health and Life Events Study in Rural Ethiopia.” Butajira Rural Health Program. Spec. issue of Ethiopian Journal of Health Development 17.2 (2003): 2-46. Web. 7 Mar. 2012. This peer-reviewed article is a collection of the results of several researches conducted by the Butajira Rural Health Program (BRHP) in Ethiopia. Several studies conducted by the BHRP are regarding health determinants and parameters, and this particular issue is focused on the reproductive health of females. The goal of the authors is to determine how domestic violence affects the over-all reproductive well-being of females in terms of physical, psychological, and social health. According to the study: ...59% of women suffered from sexual violence, and 49% from physical violence by a partner at some point in their lives...Major lifetime mental health problems include depressive episode, Somatoform disorder and recurrent depressive episodes diagnosed in 6%, 3% and 2% of the women, respectively. Women who suffered from domestic violence also reported more symptoms of mental distress...majority of violence reported by women was inflicted by intimate partners. (2) This is a good source that provides and in-depth answer to the major issues evolving around the topic of early age marriage in Ethiopia. The main topic presented in this article also serves as a good foundation for the research paper as it provides several sub-topics such as human rights, gender studies, childhood welfare, and even culture. International Center for Research on Women. How to End Child Marriage: Action Strategies for Prevention and Protection. n.p., 2007. Print. The overall goal of the organization “is to advance gender equality and women's rights, fight poverty, and promote sustainable economic and social development for all” (6). It is therefore not surprising to have this organization study and aim to eliminate early marriages. This article offers a wider view on the situation of girls who are going through, or who went through, early marriages. While it does not focus on Ethiopia alone, the statistics provided in the article show that Ethiopia has the 12th largest occurrences of early marriages compared to other nations. The article aims to promote the total elimination of child marriages not only in Ethiopia, but in the rest of the world. It presents the disadvantages not only for the girls and their families, but also for societies in general. The article is short but very informative. It states here that: Girls who marry as children are often more susceptible to the health risks associated with early sexual initiation and childbearing, including HIV and obstetric fistula. Lacking status and power, these girls are often subjected to domestic violence, sexual abuse and social isolation. And early marriage almost always deprive girls of their education or meaningful work, which contributes to persistent poverty. (2) Several organizations and governments have programs in place to restrict such practices from occurring in those regions where child marriages are prevalent. The most helpful information from this article that will benefit the research paper is the “Demographic Health Survey Data” (5) where Ethiopia, as mentioned above, is listed on the 12th spot in terms of prevalence of child marriages. It also presents several crucial reasons to eliminate this practice, and the advantages of doing so. Mekonnen Berihun and Harald Aspen. “Early Marriage and the Campaign against It in Ethiopia.” Proceedings of the 16th International Conference of Ethiopian Studies. 2009. Trondheim. Eds. Svein Ege, Harald Aspen, Birhanu Teferra and Shiferaw Bekele. n.p. Print. The aim of this article is to present the concerns and problems brought about by early marriages in Ethiopia. The article showcases the many different marriage arrangements in this region, “not all of which include sexual unions” (1001). It also presents the many different reasons for these types of marriage arrangements. According to the article: In the Ethiopian case the minimum age for marriage (18 years) corresponds with provisions in the Revised Penal Code, Article 627, “that penalise the sexual abuse of children(...) with imprisonment from 13 to 25 years for a man guilty of sexual activity with a child below the age of thirteen, and 15 years of imprisonment where the child is between the age of thirteen and eighteen.” (1001-2) The article provides critical insights to the several factors that affect the decision to enter into such marriages. Contrary to popular belief that early marriages are always arrangement by the parents of the bride and the groom, there are cases “where early marriages are consummated even against the will of the parents” and “are consummated by the choice of the couples without the consent of the bride's parents and without arranging immediate reciprocation or exchange”(1003). These insights present a different angle in looking at the conditions of early age marriages in Ethiopia, which would provide a much deeper point of discussion in the research paper. Since the paper is taken from an international conference, it is safe to say that the data presented here are factual and are according to international and local laws. Therefore, despite the article providing several reasons for early age marriage that might “justify” these, the paper is still set upon a solid legal standpoint. Metcalf, Charlotte, Elizabeth Uter, and Emily Marlow. Young Wives' Tales. Oley, PA: Bullfrog Films, 1998. This film is a short depiction of what happens to young girls who are married early. In this film, the child bride was just 11 years old when she was married to an unknown stranger to her. The reason for the marriage is familial ties and economic reasons. The purpose of the film is to present that no matter how “logical” the reasons may be for these harmful practice of child marriages, no amount of reason can pay the price for the effects of such practices to the lives of these young girls. It is definitely a heart-wrenching film that makes an involved viewer feel torn between wanting to hear more yet unable to take the gruesome details of what child brides like Nibret have been going through. It is a story filled with stolen dreams, opportunities, happiness, childhood and lives --- stolen by the very people who are supposedly legally and morally obliged to ensure that for her. While the film is somewhat emotional in nature, it does not lack in objectivity in presenting facts. It serves as a great eye-opener for anyone who wants to study about early marriages since the details are coming from a person directly involved in such unions. It will be a good source for the research paper because it does not only add factual and weighty details, but also provides the researcher with a solid foundation towards what he or she wants to discuss in the paper. Through this short film, the researcher can push the paper flow towards a goal of looking at possible ways to eradicate this painful and harmful practice especially in this age where women's rights should be at a better position than in the past. Read More