Four out of 10 girls in Mozambique entered into an early union before the age of 18, according to a study by the National Institute of Statistics (INE), which warns of a high prevalence of premature unions.
The paper, which is part of a set of 17 case studies launched this Monday by the INE, indicates that the central and northern provinces are the provinces with the highest prevalence of premarriages, especially Cabo Delgado, the province affected by the armed insurgency since 2017.
“Girls in Cabo Delgado are seven times more likely to be married before the age of 18 than girls in Maputo,” the document says.
The paper indicates that the prevalence of early unions is 35% higher in rural areas than in urban areas, and highlights that in Mozambique, illiterate girls under the age of 17 are 70% likely to marry.
“Girls from households with the highest poverty quintile have a 50% lower risk of early marriage than girls from households with the lowest quintile,” the study says.
According to INE, early unions are often associated with teenage pregnancy, and 3% of girls who enter into early unions in Mozambique become mothers at the age of 14.
INE recommends promoting policies to prevent premature unions and keep girls in school, noting that these two aspects are fundamental to reducing the number of underage pregnancies.
In Mozambique, customs have in many cases legalized premature marriages, to the extent that in some provinces a girl is betrothed to a man before birth for various reasons, including the payment of a debt or as payment for the services rendered by a traditional healer.
The passage of the Premature Unions Prevention and Control Act in 2019 promises to change that scenario, but the reality in rural areas remains challenging.
The latest official figures show that 48% of Mozambican girls are married before the age of 18, a situation exacerbated for non-governmental organizations working in the sector by poor enforcement of the law, as well as poverty and customs.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Dave Martin, and I’m an experienced journalist working in the news industry. As a part of my work, I write for 24 News Reporters, covering mostly sports-related topics. With more than 5 years of experience as a journalist, I have written numerous articles on various topics to provide accurate information to readers.