Why are parents willing to invest in their daughter’s marriage but not their education?

Most parents are willing to spend on their daughter’s marriage and not on their daughter’s education because they believe that girls will eventually settle into another family.

When I interviewed Khadija (pseudonym), a 15-year-old school dropout, in 2022, for a research project, she shared her experience of getting married early and the financial impact it had on her family. Khadija had dropped out of school in class eight during the Covid-19 pandemic as her parents could not pay her school fees. 

"My parents gave my in-laws a motorcycle, a fridge, a bed and other household items during my wedding. All of this cost around 2.5 lakh taka. My parents had to sell our land to get the money and I felt bad about that. If we still had that land, we could've earned money from that."

This year's International Women's Day focused on investing in women to accelerate progress. It is thus an opportune time to ask why parents of child brides are far more willing to spend their resources on their daughter's marriage instead of investing in their education. 

Bangladesh has the fourth highest prevalence of child marriages in the world, according to UNICEF. More than 51% of Bangladeshi female adolescents like Khadija are married off before the minimum legal age of marriage. More than 70% of them drop out of school right after getting married.  

According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Information and Statistics (BANBEIS), school dropout rates are higher among secondary school students in Bangladesh. A government report published in 2016 revealed that 42% of girls who enrol in class six drop out without completing the secondary level of education. Female adolescents from economically vulnerable families are often forced to leave school early. Studies also showed that school dropouts increased in Bangladesh during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Even though public education at primary and secondary levels is free in Bangladesh, many families are unable to pay the fees for exams, uniforms, stationery and other associated costs. Consequently, after dropping out of school, most families prefer to get them married off due to existing gender norms and to ensure their security. 

The study findings also reveal that most parents are willing to spend on their daughter's marriage and not on their daughter's education because they believe girls will eventually settle into another family and the parents will not receive any financial support from them. Most parents thus would rather invest in their son's education. 

Another reason why girls drop out of school and get married early is the lack of employment opportunities. Despite attaining a certain level of education, it is difficult for girls— especially those living in rural areas—to get employment. Subsequently, parents think that it is better to marry them off as they have very few career aspirations for their daughters. 

The costs and consequences of child marriage are immense, as we all know. It destroys the childhood of the young girls and their human rights get violated. Adolescent girls are more vulnerable to domestic violence after marriage. Also, getting pregnant at an early age results in higher rates of maternal and neonatal mortality. 

Child marriage also has socio-economic impacts as the young bride's parents are forced to give dowry to the groom's family. Even though it is illegal in Bangladesh under the Dowry Prohibition Act 1980 and the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act 2000 (amended in 2003), in most cases, the dowry is given as endowments or 'gifts'. 

Unsurprisingly, more times than not, the groom and/or his family apply either psychological or physical violence against the child bride to extract this gift. Most of the time, the giving of this gift is a continuous process and many young women face dowry demands and consequent violence by their husbands and in-laws all through their married life. 

Most families from lower-income groups like Khadija's parents, spend all their savings, sell land and cattle, and borrow money to arrange dowry for the additional costs of getting their daughters married.  

What they fail to consider, however, is that giving these adolescent girls the opportunity to continue their education can play a significant role in ensuring better lives for them. Interestingly, parents are more open to considering the views of their unmarried daughter if she is educated or earns an income. 

A study conducted by the Population Council reveals that adolescent girls from rural areas who received educational support, skills and livelihood training were less likely to be married. Additionally, according to the World Bank and the International Center for Research on Women, Bangladesh could save 11.7% of its total education budget by 2030 by eliminating child marriage and early childbirth. 

Investing more in girls' education can create opportunities for them while providing a strong platform to end child marriage. Recognising women's rights as an investment issue is critical for creating transformative solutions that will prevent child marriage and decrease school dropout rates. Investing in girls' education is also a human rights issue, as data shows that girls with an education beyond secondary school are least likely to be child brides, even if they live in poorer households in rural areas. 

Awareness should be spread to the communities, especially to parents with limited resources and poor socio-economic backgrounds. With a complete education and strong skill set, girls can become economically self-reliant and thereby support their families instead of being considered a burden. 

Taslima Aktar is a Research Associate in the Gender and Social Transformation team at the BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD).

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.