Scoping Review Protocol for 'Establishing the literature base on child marriage amongst girls with disabilities: A global systematic scoping review"
Every minute, twenty-three girls are married before the age of 18 globally (UNICEF, 2021). Child marriage is a form of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and worldwide social phenomenon that adversely impacts the well-being, health, education, economic and social outcomes of girls and their children (Malhotra & Elnakib, 2021). The intersection of gender- and disability-based discrimination places girls with disabilities at a considerable disadvantage, increasing their risk of experiencing GBV, and making it harder for them to secure their rights and access basic needs, services and protection. Despite the growing evidence base on child marriage (Siddiqi & Greene, 2022) and awareness of the vulnerability of girls with disabilities to experiencing GBV (UNFPA, 2018), there is a notable evidence gap on the relationship between child marriage and disability (Meaney-Davis et al., 2020).
This protocol outlines the planned stages of a full systematic scoping review study aimed to identify and summarise the nature, focus and extent of global evidence in relation to the marriage of girls with a disability. The scoping review will serve as a key element to inform a broader literature review for a PhD study led by Katrina Kiss and supervised by Dr Aisha Hutchinson and Dr Jenny Driscoll focused on child marriage amongst girls with disability in Zimbabwe (in partnership with Rozaria Memorial Trust and the Women’s Refugee Commission). The scoping review will enable the doctoral student researcher to gain a comprehensive understanding of the available evidence on the prevalence, perceptions, risk factors and experiences of girls with disabilities who are, have been or might be at risk of child marriage and those who were married during childhood. This review will highlight the state of available evidence/knowledge in relation to populations; terminology and definitions; contexts/settings; methodologies and methods; and key themes and crucial gaps.
