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Voice Without Choice? Investigating Adolescent Girls’ Agency in Marital Decision-making in Niger

Author

Listed:
  • Grace Saul

    (Population Council, New York, United States)

  • Aïssa Diarra

    (Laboratoire d’Études et de Recherche sur les Dynamiques Sociales et le Développement Local, Niamey, Niger)

  • Andrea J. Melnikas

    (Population Council, New York, United States)

  • Sajeda Amin

    (Population Council, New York, United States)

Abstract

This article uses qualitative data from Niger to examine adolescent girls’ perceptions of their own agency in marriage decisions and contextual factors influencing these perceptions. We find that girls make marital decisions within a context that stresses parental consent and community approval, places a high value on obedience, and is constrained by limited opportunities, gendered distribution of labor, and dominant social norms promoting an early and narrow ‘window of opportunity’ for marriage. Findings demonstrate that interventions aiming to delay marriage in Niger must work to influence both community norms supporting child marriage and girls’ own motivations in martial decision-making.

Suggested Citation

  • Grace Saul & Aïssa Diarra & Andrea J. Melnikas & Sajeda Amin, 2020. "Voice Without Choice? Investigating Adolescent Girls’ Agency in Marital Decision-making in Niger," Progress in Development Studies, , vol. 20(4), pages 270-281, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:prodev:v:20:y:2020:i:4:p:270-281
    DOI: 10.1177/1464993420977801
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Icek Ajzen & Jane Klobas, 2013. "Fertility intentions," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 29(8), pages 203-232.
    2. Ajzen, Icek, 1991. "The theory of planned behavior," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 50(2), pages 179-211, December.
    3. Jennifer Parsons & Jeffrey Edmeades & Aslihan Kes & Suzanne Petroni & Maggie Sexton & Quentin Wodon, 2015. "Economic Impacts of Child Marriage: A Review of the Literature," The Review of Faith & International Affairs, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(3), pages 12-22, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Esther Miedema & Winny Koster & Nicky Pouw, 2020. "Taking choice seriously: Emic understandings of decision-making about child marriage," Progress in Development Studies, , vol. 20(4), pages 261-269, October.

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