Education and age at first marriage among pastoral Borana girls of Marsabit District, Kenya

bibliographic database
Line

Periodical article

Title:	Education and age at first marriage among pastoral Borana girls of Marsabit District, Kenya
Authors:	Nyamongo, Isaac K.A. Muruli, Leunita A.
Year:	1994
Periodical:	African Anthropology (ISSN 1024-0969)
Volume:	1
Issue:	1-2
Period:	December
Pages:	69-76
Language:	English
Geographic term:	Kenya
Subjects:	girls gender relations Boran schooling marriage Women's Issues Peoples of Africa (Ethnic Groups) Education and Oral Traditions Miscellaneous (i.e. Demography, Refugees, Sports) Cultural Roles Marital Relations and Nuptiality
Abstract:	This paper discusses social and economic factors associated with first marriage among pastoral Borana girls of Marsabit District, Kenya. Three factors are examined: parents' and guardians' preferences for boys when it comes to formal education; emphasis on developmental rather than chronological age as the determinant of marriage; and the economic benefits that accrue to the girl's father and the husband as a result of marriage. More boys than girls are likely to be enrolled at all levels of formal schooling, and more girls than boys drop out of school. The community's emphasis on developmental age tends to act as a motivation for early marriage. The economic benefits which the girl's father and the girl's husband derive from the marriage play a major role in determining when a marriage should take place. Bibliogr., sum.