The role of social workers in curbing girl marriages : a FAMSA case study

Abstract

Girl marriage has been identified by the United Nations (2015) as a harmful practice and it has been listed as one of the global agendas to be ended by 2030. In South Africa, protecting children from violence, exploitation and abuse is not only a basic value, but also an obligation clearly set out in the Bill of Rights as enshrined in the South African Constitution (RSA, 1996). Girl marriage is prevalent in the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and the Eastern Cape (Department of Social Development, 2015; Byrne, 2017). The goal of the study was to explore and describe social workers’ role at FAMSA in curbing girl marriages. The qualitative study had both exploratory and descriptive research goals. It was an applied study and used a case study design. The study population was FAMSA social workers in Gauteng and the Eastern Cape. The sample of the study was selected purposively and included 12 participants. The data was collected through face-to-face semi-structured interviews and data was analysed thematically. Findings indicate that girls are vulnerable to early marriage owing to socioeconomic conditions, self and peer pressure, patriarchal culture, stereotypes and religion. These incentives result in long-term consequences entailing missed opportunities for development, affecting the girls’ and their children’s futures. Social workers contribute to curbing girl marriages through life skills education in schools, which empowers girls to become activists claiming their rights. Social workers also engage in awareness campaigns against girl marriage through dialogues, workshops, public meetings and radio talks. The lack of stakeholder co-ordination, partnerships, organisational resources and clear policy guidelines was identified as an obstacle in curtailing girl marriage. The study concludes that the structural reasons and aftermaths of girl marriage are interconnected and should be collectively addressed through stakeholder coordination, partnerships, resource mobilisation, policy development and implementation. Recommendations include creating a platform for dialogue among all stakeholders, strengthening existing programmes to include topics on girl marriage, developing a peer education programme in schools and developing policy to end girl marriages.