Four out of every 10 girls in Mozambique have been in an early union before the age of 18, according to a study by the National Statistics Institute (INE), which warns that the prevalence of early unions is high.

The study, which is part of a set of 17 thematic studies launched on Monday by INE, indicates that the central and northern provinces have the highest prevalence of cases of premature union, highlighting Cabo Delgado, a province affected by an armed insurgency since 2017.

"Girls in Cabo Delgado are seven times more likely to get married before the age of 18 than girls in Maputo city," says INE, quoted by Lusa.

The document also adds that the prevalence of early marriages is 35% higher in rural areas compared to urban areas, stressing that in Mozambique there is a 70% chance of illiterate girls marrying before the age of 17.

"Girls from households in the highest poverty quintile have a 50% lower risk of being in early marriages than girls from households in the lowest quintile," says the INE study.

According to INE, early unions are often associated with teenage pregnancy and 3% of girls in early unions in Mozambique are mothers by the age of 14.

In Mozambique, customs have often legitimized early marriages, to the extent that in some provinces, even before birth, a girl is promised to a man for various reasons, including the payment of a debt or as a price for services rendered by a traditional doctor.

The passing of the Law on Preventing and Combating Premature Unions in 2019 promises to change this scenario, but the reality in rural areas remains complex.