CHILD MARRIAGE PRACTICES IN THE SYRIAN REFUGEE CAMPS

Sammanfattning: This study seeks to achieve a deeper understanding of the phenomenon of child marriage among Syrian refugees, identify the causes and the consequences of this phenomenon, and explore the relationship between the armed conflict in Syria and the prevalence of child marriage practices among Syrian refugees living in refugee camps in Lebanon. To achieve the objectives of the study, the researcher used the case study approach and mixed-methods methodology in data collection and analysis. Quantitative data were collected by questionnaire from twenty participants, all women who married before the age of eighteen. Qualitative data were collected through interviews with ten of the participants, all of whom married before the age of eighteen. The findings indicate the contributing role played by the Syrian armed conflict in the prevalence of child marriage practices among Syrian refugees and that Syrian refugees used child marriage as a survival strategy. The results also reveal that there are two types of child marriages: forced and consensual. The study demonstrates that child marriage is a serious violation of children's rights. Recommendations for governments, NGOs, and further research are included.