| Women's Marriage Behavior Following a Premarital Birth in Sub-Saharan Africa |
| Authors: |
Emily Smith-Greenaway, and Shelley Clark |
| Source: |
Journal of Marriage and Family, 80(1): 256-270; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.12433 |
| Topic(s): |
Marriage
Reproductive health
|
| Country: |
Africa
Multiple African Countries
|
| Published: |
AUG 2017 |
| Abstract: |
This study examines the relationship between premarital childbearing and the timing of women's entry into their first marriage in sub-Saharan Africa. The study shows that African women who have a premarital birth generally experience later transitions to marriage than do their childless peers. Although the birth of a child precipitates a quicker transition to marriage initially, unmarried mothers, on average, marry at older ages than their childless peers and remain single for between 2 and 14?years. Evidence from a subsample of countries confirms that the time between having a child and first marriage has lengthened slightly in some countries; however, this reflects mainly the overall trend toward later marriage, rather than a further bifurcation of the marital trajectories of mothers versus childless women. The study raises policy concerns about the welfare of Africa's single mothers and their children. |
| Web: |
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jomf.12433 |