Being a Child Bride in Nigeria: A Feminist Narrative Inquiry
Abstract
This thesis draws on narratives of northern Hausa-Fulani Nigerian women married as child brides. The aim was to gain an in-depth understanding of Child Early Forced Marriage (CEFM) as experienced by these former child brides and identify the conditions that influence their decision-making autonomy on health care services utilization. A narrative inquiry approach within an intersectional feminist lens was used to analyze the structural, social, cultural, and religious realities that shape the experiences of former child brides in Nigeria. Fifteen former child brides from rural northern Nigeria who now reside in a southern urban setting of the country completed semi-structural interviews. Cladinin and Connelly’s (2000) three-dimensional framework was used for analysis. Emergent themes were “young age at marriage and agency,” “role of culture and religion,” and “education too late for me but not for my daughter.” The findings indicate that social constructs sustain CEFM to further gender inequality in Nigeria. Former child brides’ past experiences helped shape future positive changes for their daughters, as they now value increased female education as a means to resist CEFM. The results could inform policymakers seeking to protect the rights of women in Nigeria and globally. Factors constraining women’s decision-making authority and agency need to be addressed to enhance former child brides’ advocacy for their daughters. Empowering former child brides through social and cultural initiatives can promote their agency to resist CEFM for future generations through quality education and the possible adoption of formal healthcare delivery in this ethnic group.