The impact of child marriage interventions: The case of “money marriage” among the Becheve community of Southern Nigeria

Abstract

Child marriage is a widespread issue that extends across the globe, and its prevalence is still significant in various regions of Africa, with Nigeria being particularly affected. Due to child protection issues in Nigeria, child marriages have continued to thrive despite national and international laws protecting children and not much is known about interventions by non- governmental organisations towards ending child marriage in Nigeria. Thus, this study aims to analyse the impact of child marriage interventions towards survivors of child marriage in Nigeria, considering how child marriage affects childhood and the focus of interventions towards ending the practice. Following the theoretical framework of empowerment and the Child Rights Based Approach, qualitative data was collected ethically from a purposive sample of eight professionals engaged with NGOs and FBOs. In-depth interviews were conducted to gather the data, which was subsequently analyzed using thematic analysis. Results revealed that empowerment is at the core of child marriage interventions in Nigeria, different organisations channel their efforts towards eliminating child marriage and organises a range of empowerment programs for children, families, and communities. The results also shows that these interventions have led to heightened awareness and a significant change in attitudes toward child marriage within the community, which accounts to the decreased prevalence rate of child marriage in Nigeria. The study recommends that more intervention should be channelled to addressing child marriage at a macro level, with the government taking proactive measures to expedite economic development and reinforce legal structures aimed at eliminating child marriage.