Child Marriage among Syrian Refugees in Lebanon: At the Gendered Intersection of Poverty, Immigration, and Safety

Abstract

Conflict has displaced 1.5 million Syrians to Lebanon and within this context, child marriage has reportedly increased. We present a thematic intersectionality analysis of focus group discussions examining specific intersections and how they influence marriage practices: (1) immigration status and safety; (2) immigration status and economic instability; as well as (3) safety and instability, with gender as a cross-cutting theme. We aim to understand how forced displacement intersects with other, more widely recognized vulnerabilities, such as poverty, insecurity and gender, thus contributing to increased rates of child marriage with the aim of informing holistic strategies to address harmful marriage practices.