The Attitudes of the Population of Qalqilya Governorate Toward Issues of Female Early Marriage

This study aimed to identify the point of view of the people of Qalqilya Governorate regarding the issue of early marriage, and the difference in opinions regarding this type of marriage from the point of view of the targeted group based on their demographic, social and economical characteristics. For this purpose, the researcher used a multistage stratified random sample to collect the data related to the study. The sample included 550 persons with ± 4.4% margin error of the sample and it covered the different types of communities in the Governorate. After the data has been collected and entered into the computer, the necessary statistical processes, including data analysis, extraction of percentages, arithmetic averages, standard deviations, one-way analysis of variance, have been conducted using the SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). For this purpose, a special questionnaire was made that consisted of the following subjects: First subject: Includes some of the personal information about the members of the sample that is related to the subject of the study. Second subject: Deals with the opinions of the members of the study's sample with respect to some issues related to early marriage. Third subject: Addresses the factors and consequences of early marriage. To achieve the objectives of the study, the following questions have been answered: • What is the level of knowledge by the members of the study's sample regarding the issue of early marriage? • What are the impacts of early marriage on the wife, husband, children, and the family? • What is the impact of the following variables: Place, gender, kinship (from the side of both the husband and wife), marital status, educational level, current age, age at first marriage, the employment status regarding early marriage in Qalqilya Governorate from the point of view of the members of the study's sample? Among the results that the study has reached are: The larger proportion of the population have heard about early marriage through the different media, which indicates the wide extent to which the cultural awareness has spread regarding this issue among the members of the society. • Early marriage affects the health of the girl in general and leads to weakness in her body and exposes her to many health problems which ultimately affect the health of her children. • Early marriage leads to higher rates in divorce in the society due to increase in family problems between the spouses. • Early marriage deprives the girl of her right to education, thus depriving her from developing herself, her growth and employment. The study has come up with the following recommendations: Raise the age of compulsory education in schools to 18 as a measure to reduce the cases of early marriage. Enforce a law that prevents males and females from getting married before the age of 18. Regarding marriage in general, the couples must undergo blood test before marriage as an important step to detect genetic diseases especially with respect to endogamy, and not to make Thalassemia screening only. Hold educative courses in women's centers, in addition to activating the role of media in increasing awareness and recognition among the members of the society regarding the impacts of early marriage