Parents’ Attitudes Towards Early Marriage

Girls who marry early frequently abandon formal education and many have early and often high-risk pregnancies. Child brides are also at higher risk of abuse, exploitation, and separation from family and friends, which can all have major consequences on health and wellbeing. This indicator therefore measures the proportion of either fathers or mothers who do not intend to marry their daughters before the age of 18.

Collect the following data by conducting individual interviews with a representative sample of either fathers or mother of girls aged 10 to 17 years (i.e. less than 18 years).

RECOMMENDED SURVEY QUESTIONS (Q) AND POSSIBLE ANSWERS (A)

Q1: Do you have a daughter aged 10 to 17 years?

A1: yes / no

(ask the following question only if the previous answer is YES)

Q2: Is she already married?

A2: yes / no

(ask the following question only if the previous answer is NO)

Q3: If you consider your family’s situation and the attitudes of different family members, at what age do you think your daughter should get married?

A3: _

1) specify the age: __________________

To calculate the indicator’s value, divide the number of respondents who either married or intend to marry their daughter before the age of 18 by the total number of respondents with daughter aged 10 to 17 years. Multiply the result by 100 to convert it to a percentage. 

Disaggregate the data by the respondent’s ethnicity, education level, wealth category, and other factors depending on the local context.