Child Marriage, Early Childbearing, Low Educational Attainment for Girls, and Their Impacts in Uganda
The proportions of girls marrying or having children before the age of 18 have been declining in Uganda according to data from the latest publicly available Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) implemented in 2011. Yet despite progress, more than one third of girls still marry as children, and close to three in ten girls have their first child before turning 18. Similarly, despite substantial efforts to improve educational attainment, only one in four girls completes lower secondary school, and an even smaller proportion completes upper secondary school. The government of Uganda has adopted a national strategy to end child marriage and teenage pregnancies. Improving girls’ education is also a priority of the government. Unfortunately, the cultural, economic, and social conditions that have historically contributed to child marriage, early childbearing, and low educational attainment for girls remain strong. More needs to be done to accelerate progress. To inspire greater investments in adolescent girls, this note analyses the economic and social impacts of these issues in Uganda. The note also suggests potential options for investments.
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Working Paper biblioteca |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2017-12
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| Subjects: | EARLY MARRIAGE, CHILDREN, GIRLS, GENDER, EDUCATION, FINANCE, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, CHILD MARRIAGE, VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN, POVERTY, WOMEN IN LABOR FORCE, |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/706641512475149419/The-cost-of-not-investing-in-girls-child-marriage-early-childbearing-low-educational-attainment-for-girls-and-their-impacts-in-Uganda https://hdl.handle.net/10986/29039 |
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| Summary: | The proportions of girls marrying or
having children before the age of 18 have been declining in
Uganda according to data from the latest publicly available
Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) implemented in 2011. Yet
despite progress, more than one third of girls still marry
as children, and close to three in ten girls have their
first child before turning 18. Similarly, despite
substantial efforts to improve educational attainment, only
one in four girls completes lower secondary school, and an
even smaller proportion completes upper secondary school.
The government of Uganda has adopted a national strategy to
end child marriage and teenage pregnancies. Improving girls’
education is also a priority of the government.
Unfortunately, the cultural, economic, and social conditions
that have historically contributed to child marriage, early
childbearing, and low educational attainment for girls
remain strong. More needs to be done to accelerate progress.
To inspire greater investments in adolescent girls, this
note analyses the economic and social impacts of these
issues in Uganda. The note also suggests potential options
for investments. |
|---|