Child marriage and women’s empowerment in Zimbabwe

Child marriage is pervasive in developing countries, impacting girls’ education, health and overall well-being. Investigating its effects on women's empowerment is crucial for addressing gender inequality and achieving national and international goals. While previous studies have explored the causes and consequences of child marriage, few have focused on its relationship with women's empowerment. To address this gap, we used a Pooled Ordinary Least Squares model and data from the Zimbabwe Demographic Health Survey collected in 2005/06, 2010/11, and 2015. Findings reveal regional disparities, with rural areas experiencing higher child marriage rates and lower empowerment levels than urban areas. Our study confirms a significant and negative association between child marriage and women's empowerment, aligning with prior research. While child marriage remains negatively associated with women’s empowerment, this association appears to be weaker among younger women than older women. In addition, having multiple co-wives is significantly associated with low women’s empowerment. Conversely, female-headed households, higher education levels, socioeconomic status, women's work, and exposure to media also significantly contribute to empowerment. The study emphasises the need to address child marriage and promote women's empowerment for gender equality and sustainable development in Zimbabwe.