Walker Early Marriage in Africa African Journal of Reproductive Health June 2012 (Special Edition); 16(2): 231 REVIEW ARTICLE Early Marriage in Africa – Trends, Harmful Effects and Interventions

This article explores the pattern of early marriage in Africa. It focuses on the sub-Saharan region as an area with the highest rates of early marriage in the world. The harmful effects of early marriage are explored in terms of impact on the health, education and economic well-being of young girls. The paper outlines a framework for analyzing global, regional and local initiatives to curb early marriage and examines the application of these interventions in sub-Saharan countries. Regional patterns are then examined and countries which have made progress in reducing age of marriage are compared to countries in which age of marriage amongst girls has reminded low. The paper concludes on the note that countries with the highest rates of early marriage are also the countries with the highest rates of poverty and highest population growth rates. The paper argues for a sub-regional strategy to address the problem of early marriage in the zone with the highest incidence (Afr J Reprod Health 2012 (Special Edition); 16[2]: 231-240). Résumé Cet article explore la tendance du mariage précoce en Afrique. Il met l’accent sur la région subsaharienne en tant qu’une région qui possède les taux de mariage précoce les plus élevés du monde. On a étudié les effets nocifs du mariage précoce dans le contexte de l’impact sur la santé, l’éducation et le bien-être économique des jeunes filles. L’article présente un cadre qui permet de faire l’analyse des initiatives globales, régionales et locales pour réduire l