AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE EFFECT OF EARLY MARRIAGE AND PREGNANCY ON THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF FEMALE STUDENTS IN NIGERIA
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AN
INVESTIGATION INTO THE EFFECT OF EARLY MARRIAGE AND PREGNANCY ON THE ACADEMIC
PERFORMANCE OF FEMALE STUDENTS IN NIGERIA
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND
OF THE STUDY
Pregnancy at
whatever stage in life can be a life changing experience that cuts across
boundaries of race, educational attainment and socio-economic status (Kost et
al., 2010). Motherhood places demands on one's life which were hitherto
non-existent prior to the birth of the woman. When a girl that should be in
school becomes pregnant, her entire life could be completely altered as her
hopes and aspirations could be shattered. Teenage parents are parents between
the ages of 13 and 19 years (Kost et al., 2010). Maynard (1997), believe that
Early pregnancy is a delinquent behavior resulting from stress, dislike,
malice, boredom and unhappiness experienced by a teenage girl within her home
environment. Other predisposing factors include alcoholism, drug addiction,
sexual promiscuity, social and health problems among adolescents and sexual
abuses resulting to unwanted sex and pregnancy (Gaby, 2012).
Dilworth
(2002) observed a relationship between risk behaviours (drinking, smoking and
drugs) and likelihood of becoming pregnant among teenagers, while Singh and
Daroch (2000) singled out poverty as both the causes and consequences of teen
pregnancy and child bearing.Early marriage before the age of 18 is a violation
of a number of international human rights charters and conventions such as 1989
Convention on The Rights of the Child (CRC), 1979 Convention on the Elimination
of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEFADW), the 1989 African Charter
on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the 1990 African Charter on the Rights and
Welfare of Women. However, for many young girls in developing countries,
marriage is perceived as a means of securing their future and protecting them.
Girls are forced into marriage by their families while they are still children
in the hope that marriage will benefit them both financially and socially.
On the
contrary, early marriage violates the rights of children with often more
negative consequences on the girls than the boys. This compromises their
overall development, leaving them socially isolated with little or no
education, skills and opportunities for employment and self –realization. These
conditions ultimately make married girls more vulnerable to poverty. Young
married girls are indeed a unique group, coming under great pressure on a
number of fronts. They are required to do a disproportionate amount of domestic
chores, which includes new roles and responsibilities as wives and mothers. The
young bride’s status in the family is frequently dependent on her demonstrating
her fertility-often within the first year of her marriage at a time when she is
not yet physiologically, psychologically and emotionally prepared.
Additionally, girls are made to be responsible for the care and welfare of
future generations while still children themselves.
Young
mothers with no decision making powers, restricted mobility and no economic
resources are likely to transmit this vulnerability to their off-springs.
Therefore, early marriage directly compounds the ‘feminization of poverty’ and
intergenerational poverty (Saxena, Shobha, 1999). Several studies confirm wide
age gaps between younger married girls and their spouses. This age gap clearly
creates unequal power relationship between the younger brides and her older and
more experienced husband, resulting in husband having total control over sexual
relations and decision-making. Since younger brides are socially conditioned
not to question the authority of their husbands, they are often unable to use
contraception or to plan their families. The combined effect of these factors
may also make younger brides more likely to tolerate partner violence.
While there
is widespread agreement that early marriage, early pregnancy and motherhood
adversely affects general development and education of girls and they are the
links with poverty and wide consequences on families and communities have not
been adequately explored. This is partly due to the ‘invisibility’ of younger
married girl in most communities, and the fact that marriage confers adult
status to girls and boys (Bruce, 2002). Yet, many societies, primarily in
Africa and South Asia, continue to support the idea that girls should marry at
or soon after puberty. Their spouses are likely to be a few years older than
they are, but may be more than twice their age. Parents and heads of families
make marital choices for daughters and sons with little regard for the personal
implications. Rather, they look upon marriage as a family-building strategy, an
economic arrangement or a way to protect girls from unwelcome sexual advances.
STATEMENT OF
THE GENERAL PROBLEM
Despite
national laws and international agreements forbidding early marriage, this
phenomenon is still widespread in many developing countries with a high
prevalence in sub-Saharan Africa, more particularly in Nigeria. This paper
intends to analyze that issue by emphasizing on this region of Africa (Nigeria)
using Uzo-uwani as a paradigm. According to UNICEF Early marriage contributes
to a series of negative consequences both for young girls and the society in
which they live. It is a violation of human rights in general and of girl’s
rights in particular. For both girls and boys, early marriage has profound
physical, intellectual, psychological and emotional impacts; cutting off
educational and employment opportunities and chances of personal growth. In
this research work more emphasis is given to girls as this is an issue that
impacts upon them in far larger numbers and with more intensity and
consequences. Besides, having a negative impact on girls themselves, the
practice of early marriage also has negative consequences on their children,
families, and society as a whole. UNICEF (2000) argues that it is not only
girls that pay for early marriage but also the society as a whole.
Population
pressure, health care costs and lost opportunities of human development are
just a few of the growing burdens that society shoulders because of teenage
pregnancies. Early marriage also undermines international efforts to fight
against poverty in developing countries. Bunch (2005), makes it clear that the
widespread practice of child marriage makes it increasingly difficult for
families to escape poverty in the developing world, thereby undermining
critical international efforts to fight poverty, HIV/AIDS and other development
challenges, and making billions of dollars in development assistance less
effective. Among the problems of early marriage in Nigeria is Vesico-Virginal
Fistulae (VVF) which remains a serious reproductive health problem for women of
childbearing age in the developing world. It is one of the most appealing
misfortunes that a woman can face as a result of early pregnancy and
childbirth. High maternal mortality and morbidity is another problem posed by
early marriage. The world health organization estimates that the risk of death
following pregnancy is twice as great for women between 15 and 19 years than
for those between the ages of 20 and 24. The maternal mortality rate can be up
to five times higher for girls aged between 10 and 14 than for women of about
twenty years of age .This study should then seek to find answer to the
following questions on developmental implications of early marriage in Nigeria.
AIMS AND
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The major
aim of the study is to examine the effect of early marriage and pregnancy on
academic performance of females in Nigeria. Other specific objectives of the
study are;
- To identify the reasons behind early
marriage perpetuation and pregnancies in Nigeria.
- To identify how it affect girls’ wellbeing
and personality and how it constitutes a violation of their human rights in
Nigeria.
- To investigate the consequences and
developmental implications of early marriage and pregnancies in Nigeria.
- To recommend ways of ameliorating the
developmental implications of early marriages and pregnancies.
RESEARCH
QUESTIONS
- What are the reasons behind early marriage
perpetuation and pregnancies of female students in Nigeria?
- Do early marriage and pregnancy affect
female students academic performances in Nigeria?
- How does it affect girls’ wellbeing and
personality and how does it constitute a violation of their human rights in
Nigeria?
- What are the consequences and developmental
implications of early marriage and pregnancies of female students in Nigeria?
- What are the ways of ameliorating the
developmental implications of early marriages and pregnancies among female
students in Nigeria?
RESEARCH
HYPOTHESIS
H0: Early
marriage and pregnancy does not have an effect on the academic performance of
female students in Nigeria.
H1: Early
marriage and pregnancy have an effect on the academic performance of female
students in Nigeria.
SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE STUDYThe study would be of immense benefit to the development of the
girl child education in Nigeria as it would reveal the effect of early
marriages and pregnancies on the girl child academic achievement. The study
would also be of importance to students, researchers and scholars who are
interested in developing a further study on the subject matter.
SCOPE AND
LIMITATION OF THE STUDYThe study is restricted to the effect of early marriage
and pregnancy on academic performance of female students in Nigeria using the
federal college of education Okene in Kogi state as a case study.Limitation of
the studyFinancial constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency
of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or
information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and
interview)Time constraint: The researcher will simultaneously engage in this
study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time
devoted for the research work.
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