CHILD MARRIAGE AS A SOCIAL-PHENOMENON IN CENTRAL ASIA: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF RESEARCH

Abstract

This article examines child marriage as a social phenomenon in Central Asia through a comparative analysis of peer-reviewed academic research. Despite growing international attention, the phenomenon remains understudied in the regional context of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. Drawing on a qualitative content analysis of 21 scientific publications indexed in the Scopus database, the study identifies the key conceptual, socio-cultural, economic, and institutional determinants of early marriage. The results reveal four dominant thematic clusters socio-cultural norms, economic vulnerability, legal and institutional frameworks, and gender inequality that collectively shape the persistence of early marriage across the region. The analysis highlights both shared structural drivers, such as poverty and patriarchal traditions, and country-specific dynamics linked to religious influence and governance capacity. While all Central Asian states have adopted legal reforms to raise the marriage age and criminalize forced unions, their impact remains limited due to weak enforcement and cultural resistance. The study concludes that child marriage endures because it operates at the intersection of economic insecurity, gender hierarchy, and cultural legitimacy. Sustainable solutions require an integrated, context-sensitive approach that combines legal reform with education, gender empowerment, and community engagement. The research contributes to filling a significant gap in gender and development scholarship by systematizing fragmented evidence and providing a comprehensive comparative framework for understanding child marriage in post-Soviet societies