Social and cultural acceptance of child marriages among the Basoga

Abstract

Child marriage is currently a development issue worldwide recognized by the 2030 global development agenda. In Uganda, the National Development Plan III not only acknowledges that child marriage is a negative social cultural practice but recognizes that it can hinder the country’s development. This study therefore, sought to examine social and cultural acceptance of child marriages among the Basoga, a case of Bugaya Sub County in Buyende district. A cross sectional case study design guided by a qualitative approach was employed to undertake this study. A total of 6 in-depth interviews with cultural leaders, 5 In-depth Interviews with survivors of child marriages, 4 Focus Group Discussions with adult community members/parents (male and female) and 4 Key Informant Interviews with government officials and NGOs staff were conducted. Primary study participants (cultural leaders and survivors of child marriages) and the key informants were purposively selected. Thematic analysis was adopted to categorize the data and to establish patterns along the study objectives. Themes and sub-themes relevant to the objectives of the study were then identified to enable qualitative coding. Results revealed several social norms contributing to child marriages. For instance, there is a norm in the community that unmarried girls that conceive/get pregnant should marry the perpetrator (man responsible for the pregnancy). That, once a girl grows breasts, she is ready for marriage among other social norms. Beyond the social norms, it was revealed that cultural practices such as the practice of paying bride price or dowry, visiting the bush and marrying daughters being accompanied by their female siblings among others are contributing to child marriages in Busoga. These social norms and cultural practices have made the community believe that child marriage is a necessary evil. It is also critical to note that there is an interplay between social and cultural norms and practices and the social economic factors in promoting child marriages. It is therefore recommended that government and other players engage the communities towards transforming such social norms. In addition, harmful cultural practices that are promoting child marriages in the community among the Basoga should be discouraged.