Exploring child marriage in Yemen: a critical analysis of an Arab media corpus

Purpose This study adopts a qualitative approach to a critical media analysis of the multifaceted aspects of child marriage in the Yemeni context as an example of the broader Arab context. It seeks to provide a deeper understanding of the current situation, underlying causes and consequences of child marriage, as well as efforts to curb the practice. Design/methodology/approach This study utilizes a thematic analysis approach, examining various textual and multimodal sources on child marriage. A corpus of Arab media, including news and opinion articles, online discussions and public comments, was compiled and analyzed. Additionally, sentiment analysis techniques were employed to examine a YouTube report about Nujood Ali, a victim of child marriage in Yemen, to gauge the emotional tone and attitudes of viewers towards the media coverage and the practice itself. Findings This study identifies prevalent themes, narratives and perspectives related to child marriage in Yemen, highlighting the diverse journalism genres addressing the issue. The thematic analysis of the media corpus reveals several themes that align with findings from other studies, particularly those discussing the practice, its causes and its prevalence. The sentiment analysis of a YouTube report on Nujood Ali reveals significant insights into the public’s emotional response and attitude towards child marriage. Research limitations/implications This study is limited to the content available in the compiled corpus and the specific methodologies employed, including thematic and sentiment analysis. These limitations might influence the generalizability of the findings. Originality/value This study is distinctive in its comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach to examining child marriage in Yemen and the broader Arab context. It employs a selection of digital humanities software to attempt a systematic, critical media analysis on child marriage in Yemen. Thematic analysis has uncovered unique insights, such as the inadvertent consequences of legislation intended to protect children, which have instead exacerbated the problem. In addition, the media has highlighted the negative role played by some religious scholars in Yemeni Parliament. These scholars have used their political power and immunity to obstruct efforts to end the practice, either directly or by mobilizing their supporters. A sentiment analysis of YouTube comments clearly indicates that the practice of child marriage is not widely accepted within the Yemeni community, despite some perceptions to the contrary.