Stakeholders’ Perspectives on Girls’ Early Marriage in Maneh and Samalqan, Iran

Abstract Introduction Early Childhood Marriage (ECM), is known as violence against children. The purpose of this study was to find out the factors associated with ECM from local peoples’ perspectives in North Khorasan province, Iran. Methods Using an inductive approach to qualitative content analysis and saturation principles, 179 participants (key-persons, key-informants, unmarried girls, and mothers) were recruited in Maneh and Samalqan rural areas of North Khorasan. Semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions were used for data collection. Data were analyzed using constant comparison in open, axial, and selective coding stages. Results “Social stigma of being unmarried”, “fear of losing the ideal marriage opportunity or stay single”, “early marriage: the desire of the girl child”, “parents' concern about girls' high-risk sexual relationships: the value of virginity”, “men and their families”, “preference for girls under the age of 15”, “parents' unawareness about the consequences of ECM”, “fatalistic approach”, “disappointment with continuing education”, “legislation”, “religious beliefs”, “the financial capability of families”, “the monotony of social life for rural women”, and “forced marriage” were main categories that explained the reasons of ECM. Conclusion The results of this study could be a guide for policymakers and activists in the field of child protection and women empowerment to prevent and reduce the prevalence of ECM. Participatory intervention programs that involve girls to increase the girls' and their parents’ awareness about the consequences of ECM could be helpful. ECM is associated with customs and local community members’ attitudes about early marriage. If community members are involved in finding appropriate strategies to prevent ECM, they will initiate solutions that are more applicable to their local community.