The Menace of Forced Marriage on the Educational Development of Female Muslim Youths in Ghana
The Case of Akim Oda
Keywords:
forced marriage, human rights, consent, youths, female education, ghana, akim oda
Abstract
Although Islam allows the parents to make arrangements for their children, especially for marriage, it never stipulated laws ignoring their consent. This is, however, the case in Akim Oda, where women are forced into marriages in the name of Islam without their consent. The situation is worrying, and women, especially female Muslim youths who are forced into marriages, continue to be disadvantaged in terms of education and training. This research work, therefore, investigates the reasons for such happenings and compares it with Islam’s view on marriage within the context of forced marriage as practiced in Akim Oda. In this regard, the qualitative research method was employed. The primary data collection method included interviews with fifteen (15) respondents, including Chiefs, Imams, religious leaders, opinion leaders, parents, and female Muslim youths. Findings from the field indicate that forced marriages, in most cases within the study area, were to the benefit of the family and not to the female Muslim youths. It was also observed from the findings that parents and relatives collect monies for their daughters who ended up dropping out of school for marriages they are unprepared for.
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Women's Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC) and Women's Aid Collective (WACOL). (2003). Sharia & Women's Human Rights in Nigeria: Strategies for Action. http://www.boellnigeria.org/documents/Sharia%20and%20Women%27s% 20Human%20Rights%20in%20Nigeria%20%20Strategies%20for%20Action.pdf.
Abū Dāwūd, Sunan Abi-Dāwūd, Marriage (Kitāb Al-Nikāḥ), Book 11, Number 2088. https://sunnah.com/abudawud/12.
Ahmad bin Hambal, Al-Musnad, Mu’assasat Al-Qurṭabah, Cairo, Egypt, Hadīs No: 2260
Ahmad, Jamil, Mawlana (1998). Ashraf Al-Hidayah Sharḥ Hidayah. Karachi: Darul Isha‘at , Vol: 4 p, 18.
Al-Bukhārī, Kitāb Al-Nikāḥ, Chapter: The father or the guardian cannot give a virgin or matron in marriage without her consent, No:5136.
Al-Dārmī, Abu Muhammad Abdullah (2008), Sunan Al-Dārmī, Chapter, Nikāḥ, Shabbīr brothers, Lahore, Hadīs No: 2222 to 2227.
Al-Ḥibrī, ‘Azīzah (1997). "Islam, Law and Custom: Redefining Muslim Women's Rights." American University International Law Review 12, no. 1: 1-44.
Al-Muslim, Book of Marriage, Chapter: Seeking Consent of Al-Thayyibin Marriage in Words and of a virgin in (Meaningful) silence, No: 3308.
Amnesty International (AI). 31 May 2005. "Nigeria. Unheard Voices: Violence Against Women in the Family." http://web.amnesty.org/library/pdf/AFR440042005ENGLISH/$File/AFR4400405.pdf.
Anitha, Sundari and Aisha Gill. (2009). “Coercion, sonsent and the forced marriage debate in the UK.” Feminist legal studies 17: 165-184 and Anitha, Sundari and Aisha Gill. 2011. Forced marriage: Introducing a social justice and human rights perspective. Zed Books.
Anthony Davis, Claire Postles and Giorgiana Rosa (2013). A girl’s right to say no to marriage: Working to end child marriage and keep girls in school. Surrey, UK: Plan Limited. https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/Documents/Issues/Women/WRGS/ForcedMarriage/NGO/PlanInternational3.pdf
Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ghana: Forced marriages; prevalence of such marriages; whether a woman can refuse such a marriage, and the consequences of the refusal; available state protection and redress (2004-2006), 24 October 2006, GHA101618.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/45f1473720.html
Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Nigeria: Forced marriage under Islamic law; whether an Islamic marriage requires the final "Fatiha" ceremony be completed for the marriage to be consummated and for it to be recognized by Islamic authorities; consequences for a woman who refuses to participate in the wedding; likelihood of a university-educated woman in her twenties from Etsako, Edo state being forced into marriage, 17 March 2006, NGA100418.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/45f1478428.html
Creswell, J. W. (2003). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed method approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Criminal Code, 1960 of Ghana. https://home.gis.gov.gh/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Criminal-Offences-Act-1960-Act-29.pdf
Hans Wehr, (1994). Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic: Arabic-English, edited by J.M Cowan, 4th Revised Edition, Otto Harrassowitz, Germany, pp-1289.
Joseph Whittal (Deputy Commissioner CHRAJ). The prevalence of Child Early Forced Marriages in Ghana: Facts and Figures. https://chraj.gov.gh/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/CEFM-TAMALE.pdf
Muslim, The Book of Marriage (Kitab Al-Nikaḥ), Book 008, Number 3303 and Al-Bukhaari, 4843.
Muslim, The Book of Marriage, Chapter: Seeking Consent of Al-Thayyibin Marriage in Words and of a virgin in (Meaningful) silence, No: 3306.
Powering Women to Change their Own Lives. https://www.womankind.org.uk/
Right to Education Project (2018). “The minimum age for marriage.” Available at: http://www.right-to-education.org/node/58
Sakrodhvi, Jamīl Ahmad, Ashraf (2009). Al-Hidāyah, An explanation of Hidāyah, Kitab Al-Nikāḥ, Dār Al-Ishā‘t, Karachi, pp. 49.
Samuel Lane (2011). Stealing Innocence: Child marriage and gender inequality in Pakistan' (Plan International & Abo Akademi University Institute for Human Rights), 30.
Sharp, Nicola. "Forced Marriage in the UK: A scoping study on the experience of women from Middle Eastern and North East African Communities" (PDF). Refuge. London: 6, 10. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 August 2017.
Smith, Deborah (2009). Decisions, desires and diversity: Marriage practices in Afghanistan. Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit: Issues Paper Series. February 2009, p.24. Available at: https://www.refworld.org/reference/countryrep/areu/2009/en/65306
The Foundation for Women's Health, Research and Development (FORWARD). https://www.forwarduk.org.uk/about-us/ (accessed on 20th January 2024).
UNICEF. (2001). Early marriage: Child spouses. Innocenti Digest. No. 7. UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre. Available at: http://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/digest7e.pdf [Accessed 2nd February, 2024]; Boyden, Jo with UNESCO. 1993. Families: Celebration of hope in a world of change. Gaia Books.
United Nations General Assembly (2006). “In-depth study on all forms of violence against women: Report of the Secretary-General.” 6 July 2006. A/61/122/Add.1, paragraph 122. Available @ https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/Documents/Issues/Women/15YearReviewofVAWMandate.pdf
United Nations General Assembly (2012). “Report of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences, Gulnara Shahinian.” Thematic report on servile marriage. 10 July 2012.
University of Ghana Centre for Social Policy Studies, World Vision Ghana. A study on child marriage in selected World Vision Ghana operational areas. Ghana: WVG & UG-CSPS; 2017. http://csps.ug.edu.gh/content/study-child-marriage-selected-world-vision-ghana-operational-areas.
University of Ghana Centre for Social Policy Studies, World Vision Ghana. A study on child marriage in selected World Vision Ghana operational areas. Ghana: WVG & UG-CSPS; 2017. http://csps.ug.edu.gh/content/study-child-marriage-selected-world-vision-ghana-operational-areas.
Women's Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC) and Women's Aid Collective (WACOL). (2003). Sharia & Women's Human Rights in Nigeria: Strategies for Action. http://www.boellnigeria.org/documents/Sharia%20and%20Women%27s% 20Human%20Rights%20in%20Nigeria%20%20Strategies%20for%20Action.pdf.
Published
2024-03-20
Section
Articles
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