Child Marriage, Early Childbearing, Low Educational Attainment for Girls, and Their Impacts in Uganda

Wodon, Quentin ; Male, Chata ; Onagoruwa, Adenike ; Savadogo, Aboudrahyme ; Yedan, Ali

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: EARLY MARRIAGE;    CHILDREN;    GIRLS;    GENDER;    EDUCATION;   

RP-ID  :  121896

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

The proportions of girls marrying orhaving children before the age of 18 have been declining inUganda according to data from the latest publicly availableDemographic and Health Survey (DHS) implemented in 2011. Yetdespite progress, more than one third of girls still marryas children, and close to three in ten girls have theirfirst child before turning 18. Similarly, despitesubstantial efforts to improve educational attainment, onlyone in four girls completes lower secondary school, and aneven smaller proportion completes upper secondary school.The government of Uganda has adopted a national strategy toend child marriage and teenage pregnancies. Improving girls’education is also a priority of the government.Unfortunately, the cultural, economic, and social conditionsthat have historically contributed to child marriage, earlychildbearing, and low educational attainment for girlsremain strong. More needs to be done to accelerate progress.To inspire greater investments in adolescent girls, thisnote analyses the economic and social impacts of theseissues in Uganda. The note also suggests potential optionsfor investments.