Causes and consequences of female child marriage among displaced Syrians in Turkey: an intersectional approach

While the practice of child marriage pre-dates the Syrian civil war, it is one of several social and humanitarian crises that have been exacerbated by that conflict. This study identifies the reasons behind child marriage among displaced Syrians residing in Turkey and the effects that these marriages have on girls and their families. The primary objective of this study is to understand and analyze the factors that impel Syrian refugee families in Gaziantep, Turkey, to marry off their female children despite this practice being outlawed by Turkish Civil Law § 124, which prohibits the marriage of girls under the age of 17. The study demonstrates that the practice of child marriage among Syrians is multi-factorial and that it is not the result of a single factor such as customs, religious beliefs, and poverty. For that reason, the study adopts the framework of intersectionality as it elucidates the interaction of multiple factors contributing to the practice of child marriage among Syrian refugees in Turkey.