CHILD MARRIAGE IN KENYA: AN INTERSECTIONAL APPROACH

Child marriage has been practiced for thousands of years in many societies all over the world. The practice is a violation of human rights with adverse psychological, health, and social implications on young girls, their families, and consequently society. Despite efforts made by states, NGOs, IGOs, and advocacy groups to curb child marriage, the practice has continued to thrive in several countries. According to the 2022 UNICEF Child Marriage Database, 12 million girls are married in childhood every year. If significant progress is not made in eradicating the practice, more than 100 million additional girls will be married before they are 18 years old by 2030. The highest prevalence of child marriage is in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. The main aim of this research is to understand the reasons behind the persistence of child marriage in Kenya despite the existence of laws and efforts by the government and international organizations to curb this practice. This will be understood by an intersectional analysis of the trends in child marriage in different regions across the country. This study found that child marriage in Kenya does not exist in a vacuum; it is interconnected with several other aspects of society such as gender inequality, ethnicity, and marginalization. It also intersects with other sectors such as education, health, climate change, economy, religion, and culture. Findings indicate that the existing legal framework and intervention mechanisms are limited. To curb the issue of child marriage, there is a need for a revision of intervention methods and the use of complementary approaches. This research proposes a collaborative approach involving multiple actors across all sectors and levels, especially in places where tradition, religion, and culture have a transcendence over human rights norms. This research will provide information to researchers, policymakers, and people working to safeguard children's rights and welfare, especially in the states in focus. Keywords: Child marriage, Kenya, Education, Ethnicity, Child rights, CRC, Women’s rights, Intersectionality, Harmful traditions, Social norms, Sub-Saharan Africa, Advocacy