Adolescent-led marriage in Somaliland and Puntland: A surprising interaction of agency and social norms.
Outcomes: Child, Early, and Forced Marriage
View SourceKey Social Norms Take-aways Social norms around premarital sex, parental control, and peer prestige play a crucial role in sustaining adolescent-led marriage, even when individuals privately disapprove. The study underscores that interventions must go beyond empowering adolescents—they must also address the wider normative system that limits their options. Working only with youth may be ineffective or harmful unless combined with efforts to shift community-level norms. Effective programs should foster intergenerational dialogue, address norms across adolescents’ social networks, and account for the influence of modern communication technology.
Objectives This study explores how adolescent agency and social norms interact to influence the rising trend of adolescent-led marriages in Somaliland and Puntland, Somalia. It examines how social norms, economic hardship, and access to technology affect young people’s decisions to marry early, despite legal prohibitions and parental disapproval.
Methods Researchers conducted 36 semi-structured interviews and 15 focus group discussions with 156 participants across four communities in Somaliland and Puntland. Data collection included participatory exercises to explore social norms and attitudes, and thematic analysis was used, guided by theories of agency and norms.
Results Despite most parents opposing early marriage, adolescent-led unions—often through elopement—are increasing. Technology, especially smartphones and internet access, expanded adolescent agency by enabling unsupervised romantic connections. Economic hardship further motivated early marriage as a practical solution. Social norms were central: injunctive norms condemned premarital sex and pressured adolescents into marriage to preserve honor, while descriptive norms suggested most peers marry young. Parents often felt compelled to give “façade consent” after elopement to maintain social respectability. Adolescent marriage decisions were shaped by peer approval and fear of community shame, not just personal choice.
Conclusions The findings challenge the assumption that increasing adolescent agency automatically reduces harmful practices like child marriage. When enacted within a normative system that rewards early marriage and penalizes premarital relationships, greater agency can sustain or even increase the practice. Parents’ formal approval often masked a loss of control, with consent given mainly to uphold social norms and family reputation.
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