Culture, personal choices and child marriage in Tamang community

Abstract

Child marriage has become a serious issue, particularly in developing countries as well as in Nepal. Child marriage has caused several social issues such as poverty, and health-related issues and it has also interrupted the advancement of individual and society as a whole. The main objective of this qualitative research work is to explore the underlying causes and consequences of child marriage among the Tamang community with special reference to Dupcheswhor Rural Municipality, where Tamang ethnic people have a majority of the population. The researcher has assessed how the culture, personal choices and child marriage among the Tamang community have interlinked and influenced each other. The findings suggest that poverty, social norms and values, and educational factors influence the prevalence of child marriage among the Tamang community. The study also elaborates that the Tamang community is reluctant to adopt the current educational system, and hence, there is a high prevalence of school dropouts. The study also shows that such a school dropout trend is highly responsible for the prevalence of child marriage in the Tamang community. Studies found that those who drop out of school at early ages were found married at their early age. Therefore, the study suggests further research work on why school dropout prevails in the Tamang community.