Violence, Well-Being and Level of Participation in Formal Education among Adolescent Girls in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo: The Role of Child Marriage

Authors

  • Debbie Landis CPC Learning Network, Program on Forced Migration and Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 60 Haven Avenue, New York, NY 10032
  • Kathryn Falb International Rescue Committee, 122 E. 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017
  • Ilaria Michelis International Rescue Committee, 3 Bloomsbury Pl, London WC1A 2QL, United Kingdom.
  • Theresita Bakomere International Rescue Committee, 35/01 Ave P-E Lumumba, Bukavu, DRC.
  • Lindsay Stark Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63130

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26522/ssj.v12i2.1632

Keywords:

child marriage, education, violence, adolescent girls, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Abstract

Child marriage is a well-recognized barrier to education, and exposes girls to an increased risk of violence along with other negative health and developmental outcomes. A quantitative survey was conducted with girls selected from 14 communities in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Data from 350 girls (ages 13-14) were analyzed using mixed effects logistic regression models. Findings revealed that child marriage was associated with lower levels of participation in formal education as well as higher rates of physical, sexual and emotional violence. In particular, when adjusting for age and girls’ level of participation in formal education, being married was associated with more than a three-fold (OR: 3.23) increased risk of experiencing sexual violence (p<0.001). Married girls were also significantly more likely to affirm the belief that they would be forced to marry their perpetrator in the event that they were raped (p=0.017), suggesting that a portion of girls within this sample may have experienced this occurrence. Although higher levels of participation in formal education were associated with a reduced risk of violence among non-married girls, these differences were not observed for girls who were married. Findings reveal that child marriage has a significantly negative effect on the relationship between girls’ level of participation in formal education and experiences with violence. Taken cumulatively, findings from this study suggest an overall harmful relationship between child marriage and girls’ safety, education and well-being, and that efforts to prevent its occurrence in the DRC and beyond are urgently needed.

Author Biographies

Debbie Landis, CPC Learning Network, Program on Forced Migration and Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 60 Haven Avenue, New York, NY 10032

Columbia University

Kathryn Falb, International Rescue Committee, 122 E. 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017

Research Advisor, International Rescue Committee 

Ilaria Michelis, International Rescue Committee, 3 Bloomsbury Pl, London WC1A 2QL, United Kingdom.

Technical Advisor, International Rescue Committee

Theresita Bakomere, International Rescue Committee, 35/01 Ave P-E Lumumba, Bukavu, DRC.

Research Manager, International Rescue Committee

Lindsay Stark, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63130

Associate Professor

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Published

2018-12-29

Issue

Vol. 12 No. 2 (2018): Activist in the Academy, Feminist in the Field: In Memoriam Jackie Kirk 1968-2008

Section

Activist in the Academy, Feminist in the Field – In Memoriam Jackie Kirk

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