Testing the Relationship between Post Child Marriage Variables and a Girls’ Education Level in Rural Pakistan

Abstract

Education is among the most impacted factors negatively associated with child marriage (CM). Girl’s education affects their well-being, home community, and shows effects at the country-level. For this study, child brides (N=30), living in a remote rural area of Pakistan where child marriage is part of the culture and religious traditions of the community, provided responses to a standardized survey protocol. Correlation and regression analyses of the data showed three variables explained the large majority of the variation in the respondents’ education levels post child marriage (R² = .869, F(4, 25) = 48.988, p < .001). The variables tested aligned with the Potential Indicators of Gender Inequality in Education, by Domain. A child bride’s perception of the legal age for marriage in Pakistan showed the main effect, while her level of responsibilities after marriage had a negative significant relationship with the dependent variable, Qualification/Certificate level at the time of the study. Finally, when the family members held the power of decision over a child bride’s education, the mean value of the participants’ education levels went up. A deep review of the literature provided insights into areas of family and community norms, Pakistan’s educational context, and influences from institutions outside education. Vaughn’s indicators of equitable practices for girls’ education provided a frame to organize the review of the literature. The paper used a lens of honor cultures’ to understand the social influences on the practice of child marriage. Recommendations and implications provide practical applications for next steps.