The recently released National Housing and Population Census Report (2024) has highlighted the troubling prevalence of child marriages across Uganda. The West Nile region, ranking third after Buganda and Busoga, registered 47,529 cases of child marriages involving children aged 10 to 17.
This statistic has alarmed local leaders and prompted calls for urgent interventions.The Children (Amendment) Act 2016, which emphasizes a child’s right to education and protection, continues to face implementation challenges in the region. Despite the government's introduction of free primary and secondary education to ensure all children attend school, many children in West Nile are still being forced into marriage.
This phenomenon leaves them semi-literate and unable to compete for meaningful employment opportunities in the future. Local leaders in West Nile have attributed the high prevalence of child marriages to poverty, cultural practices, and school dropout rates.
In some areas, parents marry off their children to secure dowries as a way to alleviate financial hardships. Long distances to schools, lack of scholastic materials, and inadequate infrastructure in rural areas further exacerbate the dropout rates, leading children—especially girls—down a path toward early marriages.
Daniel Oyirwoth, a community leader in Arua, a district within West Nile, explained that while parents are meant to ensure their children’s education, many neglect this responsibility. “In some cases, parents force their children into marriage not only for dowries but because they believe the child will be better off financially,” Oyirwoth said.
The West Nile District Education Department, much like Luwero, has resolved to take decisive actions to combat these challenges. Proposals include auditing school dropouts and enforcing measures to keep children in school. The District Child Wellbeing Committees have suggested allocating resources for school lunch programs and sensitization campaigns targeted at parents and communities about the dangers of child marriages.
The region also grapples with the health implications of teenage pregnancies, which arise from early marriages. According to the West Nile District Health Report, over 6,200 teenage pregnancies were recorded in the financial year 2023/24 when girls sought antenatal care services at health centers.
Dr. Isaiah Obong, the West Nile District Health Officer, emphasized that teenage pregnancies not only strain the already limited health budget but also put young girls at risk of complications such as obstetric fistula and maternal mortality.
Dr. Obong urged for robust interventions to address the root causes of child marriages. He highlighted the need to improve access to quality education by constructing more schools closer to rural communities, equipping them with adequate learning materials, and providing incentives to keep children in class.
“Education is key to ending this crisis. When children, particularly girls, stay in school, they are less likely to marry early,” he noted.
Meanwhile, the West Nile Child and Family Protection Unit (CFPU) has decried the low reporting rates of child marriage cases. Alice Anek, the officer in charge of the unit, revealed that many cases go unreported due to cultural norms that view child marriage as acceptable.
She called on community leaders and elders to break the silence and report offenders to law enforcement to protect children. To address these challenges, the local government in West Nile has started conducting community sensitization campaigns in collaboration with religious and cultural leaders to discourage child marriages and promote the importance of education.
Additionally, development partners are being encouraged to invest in skills-training programs for out-of-school girls to empower them economically and reduce their vulnerability to early marriages. The battle against child marriage in West Nile requires a multi-sectoral approach, with local government, education departments, health workers, law enforcement, and communities working together to ensure children are protected, educated, and given a chance to thrive. Without these concerted efforts, the dreams of thousands of children in the region will remain unfulfilled, perpetuating a cycle of poverty and inequality.
Story Credit https://www.independent.co.ug/report-buganda-region-registers-highest-cases-of-child-marriages/
