The role of the media in mindfulness of the social and educational consequences of early forced marriages

Abstract

It is seen that the rate of women who are forced into marriage at a young age in Turkey is above the average in the world. In this study, it is aimed to understand the current situation of child marriage, which is a social problem, primarily through media tools and to propose solutions by making scientific contributions to this issue. The province of Mardin, which is famous for being the subject of marriages even in various TV series, has an average above Turkey in terms of child marriages. For this reason, the research population is the province of Mardin. In-depth interview technique, which is one of the qualitative research methods, was used in the research. Within the scope of the interview, indepth interviews were conducted with 5 female participants and 2 local media employees. Openended questions were asked to them and the subject was examined in depth. Research data were analyzed by content analysis technique. As a result of the findings obtained as a result of the research, it is remarked that women who are married at a young age are primarily banned from education life. Three of the participants are illiterate. Besides, women who grow up as individuals deprived of their own rights take a more passive role in business and social life. With the new media taking a wider place in our lives, studies on forced marriages at a young age are coming to light. It can be said that this issue, which was ignored in the traditional media, came back to the agenda of the society through the new media and social media. Meanwhile, with the migration movement in recent years, the resettlement of refugees in the country and their continued cultural and social life has brought the issue of child marriages to the featured again. In the research, it can be said that this problem, which has regressed with the media forming public opinion, has become visible again in recent years. Considering the issue in terms of education, it was determined that children who were forced into marriage at a youthful age fell before in education, couldn't be included in the compass of mandatory education, and were deprived of their education life. Among the results that crop are the fact that girls, who cannot make opinions about their lives on the way to getting an individual, are deprived of their right to acquire a profession, assuming adult liabilities at an early age, and depriving them of their right to live nonage.