Abstract

In 2024 Norway implemented a ban on cousin marriage, in Sweden one will come into effect next year, and in the UK, parliamentary debates have recently been held on the matter. Proponents of the ban point, in part, to the production of controlling family networks that hamper progress toward women’s independence. However, little empirical work has looked at the consequences of cousin marriage for women, nor at whether this varies between countries. Using large demographic surveys from Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, and Jordan, this project addresses this gap by examining the associations between cousin marriage and several proxies of women’s status such as female labour force participation, age at first birth, risk of intimate-partner violence, and attitudinal measures such as whether husbands should know where their wives are at all times. Initial results indicate that cousin marriage may protect women from violence, possibly through creating systems of accountability, yet individuals in these marriages may also hold more conservative views regarding women’s freedom. The relationship with female labour force participation appears mixed.

Reference

Olympia Campbell, “Does cousin marriage affect women’s status?”, IAST Lunch Seminar, Toulouse: IAST, June 6, 2025, 12:45–13:45, room Auditorium 4 (First floor - TSE Building).