Early relationships and marriage in conflict and post-conflict settings: vulnerability of youth in Uganda

This article presents factors which contribute to early relationships and informal marriages in conflict and post-conflict settings, based on qualitative research undertaken among two distinct populations in Uganda: internally displaced persons in Mucwini transit camp in northern Uganda and Congolese refugees in the Nakivale refugee settlement in southwestern Uganda. Themes were examined through a social–ecological framework. Findings indicate that fundamental shifts in economies, family relationships, and communication combined with structural changes encountered in settlements resulted in changed relationships and marriage patterns. Participants reported that poverty, splintering of family, and lack of education – which they believed to be exacerbated by conflict in both settings – had profoundly affected the views, perceptions and behaviours of youth around relationships and marriage. We identify interventions applicable to humanitarian settings that would offer refugee and internally displaced adolescents greater and more meaningful opportunities for development.Résumé: Si le mariage d'enfants, défini comme le mariage avant l'âge de 18 ans, bénéficie d'une attention accrue dans les pays où la pratique est particulièrement fréquente, on s'est moins attaché à comprendre les facteurs influençant les relations amoureuses, le mariage et la cohabitation entre adolescents touchés par le conflit et le déplacement. Cet article présente les facteurs qui contrib...
Source: Reproductive Health Matters - Category: Global & Universal Authors: Source Type: research