Early Marriage as a Barrier to Female Access to Education in District Bajaur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Abstract

Millions of girls are married as children in developing countries. They are denied fundamental rights like access to education, health and economic opportunities. Early marriage is a significant socio-cultural obstacles to female in access to education. Parents consider female education a burden in developing countries. Thus majority of parents in rural areas marry off their children as soon as possible. The physical, social, psychological, and economic costs of early marriage are harmful to girls. This study highlights the influence of early marriage on female education in the study area. Data were collected from a sample of 384 respondents through structured interview schedule. The study made use of binary logistic regression and bivariate cross tabulation tests in statistical analysis to determine the association between early marriage and female access to education. The study concluded that prevalence of early marriage  factors have negatively affected girls’ education, bearing significant effects not only on the educational outcomes but also on the development of the girls and the overall community. It recommends strict implementation of legal marriage age, awareness sessions and effective monitoring and evaluation systems to review progress and identify opportunities for educational improvement.