EARLY MARRIAGES AMONG THE BASOGA 

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

Marriage is a social institution that unites people in a special form of mutual dependence for the purpose of forming and maintaining a family. As a social practice entered into through a public act, religious or traditional ceremony, it reflects the purposes, character and customs of the society in which it is found. Many societies have norms that limit the age of young girls to enter into marriage, but in some cases the age limit does not take into consideration their physiological readiness for childbearing. Marriage often takes place at ages much earlier than the legally ratified minimum age. Early marriage is the marriage of children and adolescents below the age of 18 years (Tenywa, 2009).

Early marriage is used to refer both formal marriage and informal unions in which a girl lives with a partner as if married before age of 18,Early marriage also known as child marriage is defined as “any marriage carried out below the age of18 years before the girl is physically, physiologically ready to shoulder the responsibilities of marriage and child bearing ”Child on the other hand, involves other one or both spouses being children and may take place with or without formal registration and under civil religious or customary laws (Odoch, 2011). 

In several culture girls are forced to be married at a very early age due to various reasons such as getting dowry, the fear of some parents that their daughters would get pregnant while at home. It was considered shameful for a girl to get pregnant outside wedlock. Other factors include unequal power relations and economic hardship. This also exposes girls to unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS and abortions as common problems among adolescents worldwide. This also account as to why adolescents suffer more from related complications, such as maternal and infant death.

In Basoga region, early marriage has denied girls the right to enjoy their childhood, the right to education and the right to a husband of her own choice and of her age. When young girls are forced to marry someone who is older than herself and if it happens that husband dies the chances of such girls to become a widow at an early age are high. But not only will that young mothers be left to take care the young children by themselves.

In Ikumbya Sub County, incidences of early marriage and early pregnancies are prevalent. The reasons that encourage the young girls to be involved in early marriage are socio-economic pressure on the party of the parents. The latter force their children to drop out of school in order to earn a living on their own because they cannot take care of them.

The girls in Ikumbya sub county engage in marriage soon after their attainment to puberty in order to avoid social scandals. If the girl becomes pregnant at her father’s house, all blames go to father or relatives. It is taken to be a curse if a girl remains at home after her puberty. So the family has to ensure that their daughters are getting husbands soon after the attainment of the age. The families often take pride in their daughters’ marriage. The family prestige depended on how many children their daughters bore for her husband. The chance of bearing many children is secured as early as possible. Marriage of girls is a source of income to many families. This is how the parents pressurize their daughters to get married. As for boys getting married, it depends on the economic status of the families. In rich families it is easy for a boy to secure a wife immediately after becoming of age.

Despite being prevalent with profound impacts, child marriage in Busoga region attracts limited attention yet it has become a serious problem. Many girls especially with 14 and 15 years are forced into marriage by parents or guardians or relatives therefore they are facing a lot of problems [Children Dignity Forum, 2010]. For instance, those young female who forced to enter into early marriage does not able to cope with marriage life, because their age does not allow them to handle well the family matters. Adolescent mothers are also notable to reading the different gestures of their child such as illness, hunger, or pain. This puts both the mother and the child in poor health. Child marriages also deny girls an opportunity for education and decision making. Thus, there is need to explore the reasons for the increased early marriages in Busoga region.

1.2. Problem Statement 

Early marriage is found to be a serious problem as it is associated with so many life related problems which may also constitute a threat to the living conditions of people in Uganda. Teenage may experience emotional and academic problems during pregnancy as they are not accustomed with becoming mother. Early marriage may be associated with financial problems and economic difficulties owing to the growing number of teens that require to be taken care of and this may require a high cost to the government of Uganda. Early marriage increases the burden to the country’s economic development and is among the factors of demographic pressure that is perceived to be a serious problem to the development programmes. Though measures were taken to reduce the rate of early marriages in Uganda, a number of early marriages in Ikumbya has increased and it is in this perspective that this study intends to investigate determinants of early marriages among the Basoga in Ikumbya Sub County, Luuka District. 

1.3. Research Objectives 

1.3.1. General Objective 

This study wants to explore the causes, effects and solutions of early marriages among the Basoga in Ikumbya Sub County, Luuka District. 

1.3.2. Specific Objectives 

This study focuses on the following specific objectives: 

1. To examine the causes of early marriage among the Basoga.
2. To analyze the effects of early marriage among the Basoga.
3. To suggest possible strategies to prevent early marriage among the Basoga. 

1.4. Research Questions 

This research will be guided by the following research questions: 

1. What are the causes of early marriage among the Basoga?
2. What are the effects of early marriage among the Basoga?
3. What possible strategies to prevent early marriage among the Basoga. 

1.5. Justification of the Research 

The research will indicate the causes of early marriage and its consequences and stimulates local leaders and policy makers to formulate and implement policies for preventing early marriage 

1.6. Scope of the Study 

Content scope

The study will aim at exploring the causes of early marriages among the Basoga. Main emphasis will be put on examining the social, cultural and economic factors that contribute to early marriage among the Basoga.

Geographical scope

This study will be carried out in Ikumbya Sub County, Luuka District.

Time scope

The study will take a period of three months from March to May, 2018. 

1.7. Significance of the study

It will increase the researchers’ personal skills in research.

The findings will help to contribute the prevention of early marriage and thereby improve the children and families’ welfare. 

The study findings will be a reference for other students and researchers who will be interested in the same field.

The findings help the Ministry concerned to come out with proper policy strategies to overcome the problem. 

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1. Causes of early marriages 

2.1.1. Social factors 

According to Adamson Social feminist, Recognized that the exploitation and oppression of women are rooted in the structure of patriarchal capitalism. They believed that sexualism is so deeply ingrained in the social relationship of patriarchal Capitalism that a fundamental transformation is necessary to bring about social change. Thus, in this study early marriage eradication may be hindered by the system whereby policies, traditions and beliefs still oppressing young girls to be married.

Married girls have less exposure to modern media. Studies in Bangladesh, Ethiopia and Nepal as well as in Kenya have shown that married girls are generally exposed to less media than unmarried girls who are married later. Increasingly modern media are a means of providing information on reproductive health and HIV prevention, thus increasing social contact with the world. Changing interpersonal communication about HIV/AIDS and in some cases changing social norms. 

Married girls have limited social networks. The Bangladesh study and India analyst found that married girls who often move to their husbands’ communities are far likely than their unmarried peers. Married girls may be at greater risk of gender based violence in some settings. An analysis of DHS data from nine countries found that about half of the countries of Egypt, Haiti, India and Nicaragua young age at married significantly increased a girls or woman’s risk in experiencing violence.

Education is one of the most effective ways to reduce early marriage, but in most of the cases governments do not have funding to provide proper health programmes. Burdette (2012) asserts that childbearing is more likely among women from low income level and education than among their better off peers. Teenage mothers are less likely to finish school and more likely to live in poverty, depend on public assistance and be in poor health (NCSL 2014). 

However, alarming figures released by the South African Provincial Education Department indicate that schoolgirl pregnancies have doubled since 2006, despite a doubled effort of spending on sex education and AIDS awareness (IRIN 2007). Ipantenco (2014) confirms that access to quality sex education and health classes are essential during teen years, because the 

classes teach children how babies are made and what action they can take to prevent pregnancy. It seems that the type of education offered at the South African schools is not good enough to stop the learners from engaging in dangerous sexual behaviours. The explanation maybe that the financial needs of the learners are not being addressed practically, hence they opt for CSG.

Parents do not guide and supervise their children on issues relating to sexuality. Parents’ lack of education about schools and government and sex and relationships is a contributing factor of early marriage (Mbeki 2010). Most parents lack both the knowledge and skill to talk openly about sex with their children. They feel disempowered to talk about sex to their children in an environment which emphasises a right based culture for children. The general knowledge gap filled by the educational gap between parents and children contributes towards the sense of disempowerment (HRSC 2009). Parents’ lack of knowledge about safe sex and use of contraceptives such as condoms, pills, and loops (Deckert, 2010; Posel, 2013) is problematic. 

Most of the parents feel disempowered to talk about such things as HIV and AIDS. They leave everything into the hands of government via schools and teachers. As a result, they fail to equip their children with the realities of adult life. Therefore, peer pressure, alcohol abuse, loneliness and lack of belonging take control of teenagers. In most cases, these situations result in unwanted teenage pregnancies (Cause of Early marriage 2009). The teenage mothers end up becoming poorer as the envisaged salvation of the CSG proves worthless. Therefore, poverty in terms of knowledge and material possessions causes early marriage, which further exacerbates the cycle of poverty.

2.1.2. Cultural factors

According to the Priest argued that ” these days with western ideas spread everywhere; girls stay unmarried as late as 30 years. It is very Scientific and modern, but in our church it is prohibited such girls are neither clean nor blessed”Thus this strong religious message enforce the view that marrying early is best as supported by the one of the priests representing Ethiopian’s Orthodox Church.

Cultures have influence on how early girls should fall pregnant or get married. If girls are in a community where girls get married young they are all obliged to follow suit. Erosion of African traditional norms and values on sexual behaviour, inadequate involvement of women in decision making on issues concerning reproductive health and the prevalence of female circumcision cause women to have unplanned babies. 

Forced marriages practised in certain cultures culminate in girls having babies at tender ages. Some families put pressure on their children to get married when they are still too young. Cultural nuances such as children born of teenage parents choosing the same path as their parents or having a family member in prison (Brown 1999; Whalen and Loper 2014) can add to the concerns. The more the children in a family, the poorer they become as they scramble for resources such as food, clothes, proper sanitation and enough room. Therefore, government is blamed for not providing housing for unplanned children born to young mothers who are supposed to be at school.

Family breakdown caused by divorce or the migrant labour system results in children taking care of themselves due to lack of a father figure. When love is not present at home, girls may be forced to look for places where they will feel loved. Sometimes girls themselves want to prove their womanhood due to lack of proper parental guidance. Young girls sometimes want to experiment with sex. The religious leaders or churches sometimes do assist by teaching people to have good morals and condemn early marriage as well (Preston-Whyte et al. 1988; Wanjohi 2010).

Education is one of the most effective ways to reduce early marriage, but in most of the cases governments do not have funding to provide proper health programmes. Burdette (2012) asserts that childbearing is more likely among women from low income level and education than among their better off peers. Teenage mothers are less likely to finish school and more likely to live in poverty, depend on public assistance and be in poor health (NCSL 2014). 

However, alarming figures released by the South African Provincial Education Department indicate that schoolgirl pregnancies have doubled since 2006, despite a doubled effort of spending on sex education and AIDS awareness (IRIN 2007). Ipantenco (2014) confirms that access to quality sex education and health classes are essential during teen years, because the classes teach children how babies are made and what action they can take to prevent pregnancy. It seems that the type of education offered at the South African schools is not good enough to stop the learners from engaging in dangerous sexual behaviours. The explanation maybe that the financial needs of the learners are not being addressed practically, hence they opt for CSG.

All countries have regions with areas where early marriage is forbidden, but it is most pronounced in South and West Africa. In Bangladesh, Mali, India and Nepal at least half of all women currently aging 20 to 24 were married by age of 18.According to available Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data. In certain regions of Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India and Nigeria at least 40 percent of those women were married before the age of 18 (considered the legal minimum age of marriage in most Countries) according to a population council analysis of United Nations Countries data early marriage among boys in much less common.

2.1.3 Economic factors 

Ipanteco (2014) argues that poverty is one major contributor to early marriage among poverty stricken girls. Bruenig (2012) asserts that high rates of early marriage are a feature of inequality and not a cause of it. He emphasizes that pregnancy is a symptom of poverty. Kamper (2013) adds that poverty causes teen parenting and not the other way round. GPCC (2006) states that the youth living in poverty have a early marriage rate of five times the average rate. The poor socio-economic circumstances seem to play a major role in increasing rates of early marriage. Teenage girls from low income families are falling pregnant at a higher rate than those from middle and upper income families.

Posel (2013) stresses that adolescent pregnancy most often is caused by lack of access to schools, employment, quality information and health care. Early pregnancy reflects powerlessness, poverty and pressures from partners, peers, families and communities. In South Africa all children have access to free education and health services. It can be argued that private schools offer a better education as compared to public schools (Muligwe 2012). 

Also, the private health sector offers better health care service as compared to the public health care sector because most of the public health care sectors’ resources are overstretched (Motswaledi, 2013). Even if South Africa experiences high levels of poverty and unemployment, and poverty among children is extremely high, government policies promote poverty alleviation (Chitiga et al. 2014). The CSG is a cash grant targeted to eradicate poverty from children.

Solomon (2013) states that there is substantial evidence that child support grants reduce risky behaviour among teens such as sexual activity and pregnancy. They serve to reduce early marriage over time rather than increase them.

Burdette (2012) argues that child pregnancy is an effect of poverty. Yalesias (2012) confirms that women choose to become mothers because their economic outlook is objectively bleak. There is a desire for financial security, and by falling in love with affluent people who will support them financially, women attain this desire. As a result, they are exploited by older men (Decker 2006). Sometimes, even if they were given money for transport to and from school, children tend to hitchhike and fall sexual victims of older men (eNCA 2013).

Having a young child consistently lowers labor force participation, whereas an early birth does not. Koo and Bilsborrow (1980), early childbearers (female) appear to be somewhat more likely to be in the labor force 10 years after high school than later childbearers. This is probably due to several factors: 1) Since early childbearers start their families early, at 1 and 5 years after high school fewer early than later childbearers are working (Card, 1977). Ten years after high school, however, their children are older while later childbearers have just begun their families and have young children in the home.

Poverty is both a cause and a consequence of early marriage and childbearing. Two-thirds of young unmarried mothers are poor and around 25 percent go on welfare within three years of a child’s birth. Low educational attainment among teen mothers affects their economic opportunities and earnings in later years. Teen mothers are less likely to complete high school or college, and are therefore less likely to find well-paying jobs. This reality is evident in the fact that over the past 20 years, the median income for college graduates has increased 19 percent, while income among high school drop-outs has decreased 28 percent. The economic consequences of dropping out of school often contribute to the perpetual cycle of economic hardship and poverty that spans generations (Chitiga et al. 2014).

Only around 20 percent of fathers of children born to teen mothers marry the mothers. Therefore, child support generally represents a vital income source for these single parent families, accounting for 23 percent of family income among families that receive it. However, teen fathers may pay less than $800 a year in child support, compounding financial difficulties for the parent responsible for day to day care. Teen fathers are often poor themselves; research indicates that they are also less educated and experience earning losses of 10-15 percent annually (Chitiga et al., 2014).

The previous section has shown that AFDC mothers are more likely to have been teen mothers than are American women in general. Three studies have attempted to estimate the cost of teen childbearing in terms of the public expenditures on women who were teens when they had a first birth. This total does not necessarily represent the amount that could be saved if all these mothers had postponed their first birth, since some would have required public assistance regardless of their age at first birth.

Moore (1978) and Wertheimer and Moore (1982) analyzed three data sets to estimate 1975 welfare expenditures on teen mothers. The results show that about half of the AFDC budget goes to households in which the mother was a teenager at first birth, about $4.65 to $5 billion in expenditures just through AFDC (Moore and Burt, 1982). Adding food stamp benefits plus medicaid benefits to mothers and children increases the total to $8.55 billion in 1975 (Moore and Burt, 1982).

Scheirer (1982) estimated AFDC payments to current and prior teen mothers under age 30 (using the 1975 and 1977 AFDC surveys) to total $2.5 billion in 1975 and $3 billion in 1977. Moore’s estimate of payments to households of women age 14–30 and who gave birth before age 20 was $2.4 billion in 1975. The estimates based on a number of different data sets are very similar.

Block and Dubin estimated AFDC costs for teen childbearers in Monroe County, New York in 1977 and 1978. They found the average cost per case to be $4,262 and $3,494 in 1978 for teen and non-teen childbearers respectively under 30 in that year. Scheirer also found that households of teen mothers received larger grants; however, this was because of the larger number of children of teen childbearers than older mothers. Once other factors were controlled the direct effect disappeared. Block and Dubin showed that over time older childbearers do catch up somewhat; however, substantial differences in family size remain. Scheirer also showed that the length of time on welfare is a function of age at first birth. Early childbearers spend slightly more time on AFDC. Thus the higher welfare cost of early childbearers is due to three factors: the higher proportion of early childbearers who are recipients, the higher cost per case, and the longer duration of payment (Scheirer, 1982:3).

2.2. Effects of early marriages

There are so many effects in engaging in early marriage which includes:

(a)        Health risk –Early marriage threatens the health and life of girls. First of all, when a girl is married as a child, she cannot make the decision of when to give birth, the society forces her to give birth at such a tender age. Therefore, complications may arise from pregnancy and child birth, which are the major causes of death among adolescent girls below the age of 19 in Nigeria. Pregnant girls aged 15 to 19 are twice as likely to die in childbirth as women in their 20s and girls under the age of 15 are five to seven times more likely to die during childbirth.

(b)        Illiteracy And Poverty – Child marriage often ends a girl’s education, in line with this; uneducated girls are more prone to child marriage. Early marriage hinders a young girl’s ability to continue with her education as most drop out of school following marriage to focus their attention on domestic duties and having or raising children. Education, they say is the bedrock of the society. And a saying goes “Educate a girl child and educate the whole nation. Without education, the female child has fewer opportunities of living her dreams, of becoming someone great in future, of contributing positively, her own quota to the society, thereby making her prone to early marriage. In addition, child marriage leads to poverty in the sense that these girls do not have education, thereby leaving her with fewer opportunities to get a job, earn an income, and financially provide for herself and her children, resulting in poverty.

(c)        Kills The Girls’ Dreams – Early or child marriage results in a loss of childhood – Girls are withdrawn from realizing their dreams and aspirations in life, their rights are violated and they lose the ability to choose how their life is fulfilled. The dream of becoming someone great and influential in life is killed through early marriage, as it hinders them from pursuing their education, from getting a degree in school. Early does not give room for the girls to showcase their God’s given talents, it make them only focus their attention on the marriage.

(d)        Early marriage deprives them from enjoying real relationship that exists between husband and wife because it serves as boss to subordinate relationship because of the age difference. The girls are not allowed to contribute meaningful ideas to the family as they are seen as nanny or house maids for some kind of domestic duty.

Despite the havoc caused by child marriage, there are ways early marriage can be stop in our environment is enforcement of law prohibiting early marriage, various programmes should be organized by the government, relevant bodies and individuals in order to empower young women, by teaching them on how to start a trade teaching them the importance of education, teaching them a skill through various trainings. Such programmes should be encouraged and available not only in schools, but in communities and rural areas as well.

Child marriage has indeed caused more harm than good as it has stripped many young girls of their childhood, their dreams, their basic human rights and their health, however if we can follow these recommended steps, then, we can be able to eradicate child marriage in our society.

2.4 To suggest possible strategies to reduce early marriage

Early marriage is a socially, economically, physically and emotionally complex issue. StayTeen.org reports that three out of 10 teen girls in the U.S. find themselves pregnant at least once before age 20. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unwanted Pregnancy relays that approximately 47.8 percent of all high school students report having sexual intercourse. With serious consequences at stake, ways of preventing early marriage should be a high priority (Posel, 2013).

Abstinence

Abstinence from sex (oral, anal or vaginal) is the only behavior that is 100 percent effective at preventing early marriage. In fact, the National Campaign stresses that abstinence from sex is the best choice for teens as it avoids early pregnancy, parenthood and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Planned Parenthood reminds teens that remaining abstinent is a behavior choice and it can be difficult for some people (Posel, 2013).

Contraceptives

Posel (2013), besides abstinence, using contraception during sexual intercourse can also prevent early marriage. Whether using barrier or hormonal methods, contraception can help to avoid pregnancy. StayTeen.org reports that one-third of teenage girls did not use any form of contraception the last time they had sex and 52 percent of sexually active teens reported a primary reason for not using contraceptives is because their partners did not want to. Educating teens about contraceptive methods may help to change attitudes and behaviors toward safer sex practices.

METHODOLOGY

3.1 Research Design.

The descriptive research design will be adopted. It will also employ both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection. Quantitative approach will be used to bring out the numerical concept within the study by the use of frequencies, percentages, tables. While the qualitative approach will be used to capture some comments, opinions, ideas, and concepts from the respondents that are relevant to the study. 

3.2 Area of Study

This study will be carried out in Ikumbya Sub County, Luuka District 

3.3 Study Population

Respondents will be selected using simple random sampling because there are many in number and as such a smaller number will be chosen. Respondents who will include parents, girls and local leaders will be purposively selected as it is assumed that they have right information as regards. The study population consists residents of the area of study. 

3.4 Sample Size

A total of 50 respondents will be sampled. This group will be opted for in order to get information concerning the researcher’s area of investigation without concentrating on one area which will not be representative enough.

3.5 Sampling Techniques

In this case purposive sampling will be used to select key informants of the study. Purposive sampling will be used because it will enable the researcher to choose the respondents that she thinks will provide relevant information for the study.

3.6 Research Instrument

Robinson (2017) defines research instruments as measurement tools designed to obtain data on a topic of interest from research subjects. The researcher will use questionnaires and interviews as research instruments for data collection.

Questionnaires

Gillham (2008) defines a questionnaire as a research instrument consisting of a series of questions (or other types of prompts) for the purpose of gathering information from respondents. 

For the purpose of this study, both open ended and close ended questionnaires will be used to collect data.  

Closed-ended questions are those which can be answered by a simple “yes” or “no,” while open-ended questions are those which require more thought and more than a simple one-word answer (Graham, 2012). The open ended will enable the collection of a lot of information as it gives an opportunity to the respondent to fill the provided gaps.  

Interviews

Demba (2009) defines interview as a conservation initiated by the interviewer for specific purpose of obtaining research relevant information and focuses on content specified by research objectives of specific description. Interview is also a face to face interaction between the interviewer and interviewee. Interviews are either structured or unstructured and focus group. 

This study will use unstructured interview guide. 

The advantages of interviews are; 

• It helps in the collection of more data as it allows the interaction of both the researcher and the respondents. 
• It increases mutual understanding and co-operation between the interviewer and the interviewee 
• It helps to collect the fresh, new and primary information as needed.

3.7 Research procedure

The student will design the research instruments that will be approved by the University research supervisor. The student will get an introductory letter from the Head of Department; Teacher Education and Development Studies, Kyambogo University to introduce him to the researcher meet the sub-county chief in-charge of the sub-county and present the introductory letter to allow the researcher conduct his study. The researcher will distribute the questionnaires to the key informants because these categories are literate enough to fill them. Interviews will be administered by translating it into the local language through interviewing one person at a time as this helps to obtain genuine and unreleased response of substantive information. This instrument will be used on parents and children.

3.8 Data Processing, Data Analysis, Presentation.

The data will be coded, edited and analyzed using both statistical and non-statistical methods and the data collected will be arranged in systematic way to ensure relevancy and adequacy.  The researcher will present the findings of the study using bar charts, frequencies, percentages and tables.

3.9 Ethical Considerations

According to Lo (2009), ethical research is research that human subjects or participants raise unique and complex ethical, legal, social and political issues. It’s specifically interested in the analysis of ethical issues that are raised when people are involved as participants in research. The researcher shall observe extreme confidentiality while handling the responses and Information will be availed to the respondents that the researcher will not cause any danger directly or indirectly and that participation is voluntary.

3.10 Anticipated Limitations to the Study

The researcher anticipates to face limited cooperation from the respondents. This will be due to their own reasons among themselves being that they may have limited time and interest in providing the information required. 

Inaccessibility of key persons in the study. This will be a result of some of them having their own programmes and not willing to provide information. 

REFERENCES

Bruenig M 2012. Teenage Pregnancy and Poverty. Matt Bruenig News Letter. 

Burdette W 2012. Poverty, Low Education Attainment Lead to Early marriage. The State Journal. West Virginia Only Business Newspaper, Daily, March 26, 2012, P. 1.

Chitiga Mabugu M, Ngadu S 2014. The Child Support Grant. From <http://www.google.com.> (Retrieved on 10 April 2014).

CSGE 2010. Child Support Grant Evaluation. Pretoria: Department of Social Development Republic of South Africa.

Deckert K 2006. Causes of Teenage Pregancy. Retrieved April 9, From <htttp://www.voices Yahoo. com/factors problem in America> (Retrieved on 9 April 2014).

eNCA 2013. Television Programme. E News Channel Africa. News, 22 July 2013.

GPCC 2006.Gender and Poverty Collaborative Curriculum. From <http://www.google.com> (Retrieved on 20 February 2014).

HSRC 2009. Teenage Pregnancy in South Africa with Specific Focus on School Going Learners. Pretoria: HSRC.

Ipatenco S 2014. Why Are Low Income Likely To Become Pregnant? Global Post American World News Site. From <www. everydaylife. Global Post. com> (Retrieved on 31 July 2014).

Kemper M 2013. Poverty Causes Teen Parenting, Not the Other Way Round: Reproductive and Sexual Health and Justice News Analysis and Commentary.

Mbeki A 2010. Lack of Education in Sex and Relationships. 

Motsoaledi A 2013. The State of Health Care Service. TV Programme eNCA Judge for Yourself. 17 September 2013.

Muligwe S 2013. Message: Kingdom International Convention, 2 July-6 July 2013. Tshifulanani: Rhema Kingdom Life Centre.

NCSL 2014. National Conference of State Legislatures Early marriage Prevention. From <http://www.ncsl. org/research.> (Retrieved on 30 July 2014).