Age of Marriage in Africa
Amongst the various tribes of Africa, we find that the practice of marrying off girls at the
age of puberty and even before that was very common.
Rohlfs reported mothers of ten or twelve at fesan (cited by Sumner,
1906:p382)[156]. The Akan custom of “Asiwa”[157] (infant betrothal) had almost
become the principal form of getting married until it was abolished, in 1918, by
the Okyeman Council[158]…
Among the Fanti, children could be betrothed before they were mature. The Masai
practiced fetal and infant betrothal. Infant betrothal was further said to be
practiced by the Azande, and Mbuti. Childhood betrothal was practised among the
Dogon. Yao girls would be betrothed as infants or small children. Betrothal before
birth or in early infancy was usual among the Kuranko. Among the Ewe, children
would be betrothed in childhood or before birth. Among the Tshi-speaking
people, a girl was publicly advertised for marriage at puberty (age 11-12) by
being paraded through the streets decked out in ornaments. Lateral betrothals
frequently took place before puberty and sometimes before birth.
Among the Yoruba-speaking peoples, girls of better class were almost always
betrothed when children, frequently when infants, the husband in futuro being
sometimes an adult, sometimes a boy. Among the Konkomba, a girl was
betrothed to a man of more than twenty years of age, sometimes to an elder who
may give her away for marriage.
Among the Ethiopean Galla, marriages were often arranged by betrothal at a very
young age. In the Uganda protectorate, “[a]t any stage of its infant life a child
may be betrothed to some other infant or to one many years older than itself”.
Among the Somali, infant betrothal may have been common in the past. Among
the Mambwe / Amambwe (Zambia), betrothal was common in childhood. Among
the Yahgan, little girls were betrothed to adult men; sometimes parents agree to
unions between little boys and girls. The Ila child was sometimes betrothed at age
four, or even earlier. Among the Mouktélé (Northern Cameroon), children were
betrothed in infancy, somewhere around age six. Among the Bangwa (Western
Cameroon), a baby was betrothed at birth, or in infancy. Among the Bali (Western
Cameroon), betrothal, but not marriage, of children could take place before
menarche or puberty.
The Fang were sometimes married before birth. Koalib girls were betrothed at
eight or nine years of age, and at twelve or thirteen the marriage was
consummated. Nuba men begin courting at age twenty and generally get betrothed
to a girl child. Among the Azande, infant betrothal was the rule. As for the Tshidi
Barolong (South Africa), infant betrothal is practiced. Among the nomadic Fulani
children were betrothed at ages seven to ten in the case of girls, and from three to
ten in the case of boys. The Shuwalbe Fulani practiced infant betrothal between
boy and girl. Infant betrothal and adoption marriage among the Mbaise Igbo.
Traditionally, betrothal in infancy or childhood was customary in Benin Kingdom
and among the Northern Edo. In case of the Igbira of Northern Nigeria, betrothal
often took place in childhood. Among the Igala, betrothal could occur at age four
to five. Among the Utonkon-Effium Orri, betrothal of girls occurred at birth.
Among the Luo, child betrothal or marriage could take place. Childhood betrothal
was noted for the Shambala. The Nkundo girl could be betrothed in infancy. In
Tanzania, immature girls could also be betrothed, but infant betrothal occurred
only in mock fashion…
Among the African Marutze, the children “are often affianced at an early age, and
the marriage is consummated as soon as the girl arrives at maturity[162]. The
Negroes of the Gold Coast, according to Bosman, often arranged for the marriage
of infants directly after birth[163]; whilst among the Bushmans, Bechuanas, and
Ashantees, children are engaged when they are still in the womb, in the event of
their proving to be girls[164]…
In Ethiopia, marriage occurs between age 12 and 15. Hausa women were married
just before puberty (villages) or after (rural dwellers), to adolescents some seven
years older. A Tuareg girl may have been married by age seven or eight. Fang
children were sometimes married before birth. In pre-1900 Nubia, girls were
married at the age of from eight to ten years. G/wi girls were married at age 7-9,
boys at about 14-15. Among the Kung, eight and nine-year-old brides would be
married to teenaged husbands. Bela would have been married before puberty.
Among the Kabyles, a father could marry his daughter before she has reached
puberty. Among the Igala (Northern Nigeria), the marriageable age was eight to
ten for girls…
Today[167], “very little country data exist about marriages under the age of 14,
even less about those below age 10”. In Ethiopia and in parts of West Africa,
marriage at age seven or eight is not uncommon. In Kebbi State, Northern
Nigeria, the average age of marriage for girls is just over 11 years, against a
national average of 17[168]. A 1991 UN Population Cart indicates legal ages of
marriage of 9 in Morocco (males, with parental consent, compared to 21 for
females) and 6 for Ghana (both sexes, with or without consent)[169].
(G.U.S.: A World Atlas, http://www2.huberlin.
de/sexology/GESUND/ARCHIV/GUS/AFRICA.HTM#_Toc86519743)
In many parts of Africa, girls continue to get married upon the commencement of
puberty. UNICEF recently surveyed six African countries:
A recent study by UNICEF in six Western African countries showed that 44 per
cent of 20-24 year old women in Niger were married under the age of 15. The
need to follow tradition, reinforce ties among or between communities, and
protect girls from out-of-wedlock pregnancy were the main reasons given.
(UNICEF, http://www.unicef-icdc.org/publicati...f/digest7e.pdf)