Isinualat ni: Sabrina Zantua
Background of child marriage
What is child marriage? Child marriage as defined by UNICEF, is the a marriage of a girl or boy before the age of 18 and refers to both formal marriages and informal unions in which children under the age of 18 live with a partner as if married. Child marriage affects both girls and boys, but it affects girls more due to the gender inequality prevalent around the world. Child brides can be found in every region in the world, from the Middle East to Latin America, South Asia to Europe, but it is in Africa, specifically, Niger which has the highest overall prevalence of child marriage in the world, with 77% of women married before the age of 18. There are laws that prohibit child marriages, such as The African Charter on the Rights and the Welfare of the Child (ACRWC, 1990) which prohibits “the betrothal of girls and boys” (Girls Not Brides, 2013). 32 African countries have set the minimum age of marriage at 18 for both girls and boys, and sometimes above, but despite legislation, most allow younger children to marry with parental consent, according to the World Policy Center.
Causes of child marriage
There are many causes as to why child marriage is so prominent in Africa, one of the main reasons why is, severe poverty. Many Africans are convinced that by marrying off their young daughters to men, usually older men, that their daughters will be taken care of and that they have one less mouth to feed, and by receiving dowries from them, they will have more money to take care of their other children (Global Citizen, n.d.). According to a Human Rights Watch report, “global data shows that girls from the poorest 20% of families are twice as likely to marry before 18 as girls whose families are among the richest 20%.”
Another source of child marriage is the lack of access to education. Numerus girls do not have an education because of one of three reasons, one, it is expensive, two, the parents don’t see the value of education, and/or three, because it is not seen as relevant to their lives. With limited options, parents often see marriage as the next best alternative (Girls Not Brides, n.d.).
Aside from poverty and the lack of education cultural traditions and social norms play a role in whether or not a child will become a bride. Child marriage persists because it has happened for generations – and straying from tradition could mean exclusion from the community. Many families believe that, for young girls, marriage is the next stage of their womanhood, and because of the cultural emphasis on virginity, child marriage is sometimes seen as a way to protect girls in unsafe environments and to protect their chastity and virginity. Gender inequality is also a cause in many communities where child marriage is practised, girls are inferior to boys, they are considered to be a burden or a commodity, to be sold off (NCBI, 2006).
Effects of child marriage
Child marriage curtails the young bride’s education, when young girls enter into a marriage, societal expectations often hinder a girl who is married from attending school. Once married, the husband may disapprove of his wife attending school so that she can do the cleaning, cooking, and etc. This effect also relates to minimizing her economic opportunities, due to a lack of education on the child’s part, this prevents them from getting good well-paid jobs, which in turn continues the cycle of poverty (Global Partnership, 2017).
Child brides have a higher chance of experiencing domestic violence. Girls who marry before age 18 are 50% more likely to face physical or sexual violence from a partner throughout the course of their life, and there is even a higher risk of domestic violence among those who have not recieved an education. The vast majority of child marriages are of younger girls to older men, where there is an imbalance of power in these relationships, which is often linked to domestic violence (Equality Now, n.d.).
In addition to the physical danger this presents to girls, violence can also have lasting psychological implications on girls’ mental health as women married as children are more likely to suffer from PTSD or depression. As well as mental health, their physical health is also at danger, in parts of sub-Saharan Africa, child marriage has also been linked to higher than average rates of HIV/AIDS infections, with married girls in Kenya and Zambia 75% more likely than their unmarried sexually active peers to contract HIV. Again, because of the imbalance of power girls are unable to negotiate or to discuss contraception with their husbands, resulting in earlier and more frequent pregnancies, which increases population growth and in turn continues the cycle of poverty (Equality Now, n.d.). Child marriages puts the bride at risk for early and very high-risk pregnancies, this is because the girl’s body is not yet physically developed for pregnancy at such a young age. These high risk pregnancies can result in increased risk of miscarriage, difficulties during labor, postpartum hemorrhaging, obstetric fistula, and cervical cancer. The next generation is also at higher risk for illness and death (NCBI, 2006). Young girls are also not psychologically ready to become mothers, since they have little to no experience.
Finally, child marriages effectively end their childhood, they are not only forced into a type of relationship that they aren’t ready for, but they are also forced to grow up early, she will be expected to become a woman who keeps the house and raises a family, rather than play and study like what a child should be doing. By stealing their chance to learn, grow, and realize their full potential, child marriage disempowers them. It makes them dependent on others throughout their life and makes them vulnerable to abuse (Global Citizen, n.d.).
How is Africa solving the problem?
In September 2015, African leaders joined other governments to adopt the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which include a target to end child marriage in the next 15 years. Africa’s human rights treaties on women’s and children’s rights, agreed to by African states, explicitly state that the minimum age of marriage should be 18. Tanzania announced in 2016 that a man who marries or impregnates a girl of school-going age faces 30 years in prison. Gambia also enacted a strict ban on child marriage that sentences not only a man who marries a child to 20 years in prison, but also the girl’s parents. People with knowledge of the plans and marriage, but did not report the marriage, could also receive a 10-year sentence under the law. On November 26 and 27, the African Union held the first African Girls’ Summit on Ending Child Marriage to highlight the devastating effects of child marriage, call for legal reform, and share information about good practices (Human Rights Watch, 2015) There are also many programs that Africa has implemented to help unmarried and married women, such as the Berhane Hewan programme, which provide interventions including community conversations to raise awareness and address cultural and social norms and provision of school supplies to enable girls to remain in school (Girls Not Brides, n.d.). These are all good steps in the right direction in ending child marriage but, there must also be a strict coordination and reinforcement of laws and punishments to completely end child marriages.
What else can be done to stop child marriages for good?
To end child marriage, individuals, lawmakers, and world leaders need to challenge norms that say girls are less values than boys, and instead, empower girls to be their own agents of change. Providing girls with equal access to quality education and allowing them to complete their studies will enable them to fully engage in society, to become financially independent, and lead independent lives— and ultimately, to work toward ending poverty. Creating safe spaces and channels for them to speak up for what they want and speak out against harmful practices (Global Citizen, n.d.).
References:
- Africa: Strengthen Steps to End Child Marriage. (2015, December 10). Retrieved from https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/12/09/africa-strengthen-steps-end-child-marriage
- Child Marriage. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/rosa/what-we-do/child-protection/child-marriage
- Child Marriage: Everything You Need to Know. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/child-marriage-brides-india-niger-syria/
- Education. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.girlsnotbrides.org/themes/education/
- Ending Child Marriage in Africa: A brief by Girls Not Brides. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.girlsnotbrides.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Child-marriage-in-Africa-A-brief-by-Girls-Not-Brides.pdf
- Ending Child Marriage: Progress and Prospects. (2014). Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/media/files/Child_Marriage_Report_7_17_LR..pdf
- Nour, N. M. (2006, November). Health consequences of child marriage in Africa. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3372345/
- Odala, V. (2013, June 11). How important is minimum age of marriage legislation to end child marriage in Africa? Retrieved from https://www.girlsnotbrides.org/how-important-is-minimum-age-of-marriage-legislation-to-end-child-marriage-in-africa/
- What Are the Long Term Impacts of Child Marriage? Your Questions Answered. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.equalitynow.org/long_term_impacts_child_marriage
Wodon, Q., Vivekanandan, R., Egbetayo, V., Muhia, Y. K., Egbetayo, V., Muhia, Y. K., & GPE Secretariat. (2017, June 29). Child marriage and education: Impacts, costs, and benefits. Retrieved from https://www.globalpartnership.org/blog/child-marriage-and-education-impacts-costs-and-benefits
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