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Title
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Unpacking agency of adolescent girls in combating child m arriage at Quarit Woreda, Amhara Regional State of Ethiopia
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Author
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Abstract
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| The implementation of international human rights laws at the national and local levels relies on the framing of norms. Recent research has shown that international norms regarding child marriage have shifted from setting a minimum age limit to building the agency of girls to resist the practice, which can be either active or pas-sive. Active agency requires taking action for its purpose, whereas passive agency involves acting insituations with limited options. The dominant discourse on child marriage often portrays girls as victims, and this article adds to the existing lit-erature on how child brides exert agency utilizing semiotics approach. Based on an extended qualitative study conducted at Quarit Woreda, the Amhara Regional State of Ethiopia, the article explores how the girls have been exerting transforma-tive agency to resist the practice, or at least exercise limited agency to enforce their marital choice. It also contrasts them with female parents, where the latter are found to uphold mythical signification being one among the central norm holders. By doing so, the contribution seeks to understand the semiotic system—the structural resources that support versus socio-cultural factors that constrain their agency. This article also discusses the multifaceted difficulties faced by girls in challenging the well-established norm and the creative strategies they use to overcome impediments through networking and collaboration pathways. Lastly, the article suggests potential future interventions that aim to enhance girls’ transformative agency which in turn supports the effective enforcement of child marriage law in the study area. |
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Language
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English
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Source (journal)
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International journal for the semiotics of law. - Gaunt Holmes Beach, Fla
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Publication
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Gaunt Holmes Beach, Fla
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2024
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ISSN
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0952-8059
[print]
1572-8722
[online]
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DOI
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10.1007/S11196-023-10099-8
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Volume/pages
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37
:6
(2024)
, p. 1913-1938
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ISI
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001142442700001
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Full text (Publisher's DOI)
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Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
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