Early Marriage

These principles are well-rooted in the culture of many developed countries, but for many regions in Africa these habits constitute a violation of their basic principles. Not to say that in Africa there was no such paradigms. It is true that in some regions of the country side, and especially where the Islam is dominant, premature marriages are a secular practice. But in most African countries, the culturally accepted minimum age for marriage is 18 years. Only after the individual reaches that age, can begin to get prepared to

As a conclusion, early marriage of girls and boys impairs the realization and enjoyment of virtually every one of their rights. The imposition of a marriage partner on children or adolescents who are in no way ready for married life, and whose marriage will deprive them of freedom, opportunity for personal development, and other rights including health and well-being, education, and participation in civic life. This Presentation can be as a starting-point, drawing attention to a practice that has been neglected by both women’s and children’s rights campaigners in recent decades. It is hoped that it will provide an incentive for a campaign to prevent early marriage and end the silent misery of millions of girls in many countries around the world, to open up new horizons for them, and contribute to the development of policies, programs and advocacy to bring this

Walker, Judith-Ann. "Early marriage in Africa–Trends, harmful effects and interventions." African journal of reproductive health 16.2 (2012):

Girls all over the world are forced into marriages due to financial necessity, tradition and to ensure their future. Most of these girls married are at a young age: “One third of the world’s girls are married before the age of 18 and 1 in 9 are married before the age of 15”( “Child Marriage Facts and Figures”). The young ages of those being married reveal how crucial it is to resolve this problem. When child marriage occurs the parents of the bride usually chose the groom for their daughters; and these grooms can be three times older than the young brides. Some children are brought into the world of marriage at the of 8 or sometimes less depending on their cultural views. The following can be used to help reduce the impact of early

Moreover, this research focuses on what has caused the shift for premarital sex to be considered normative, and how people view this idea.

Child marriage is one of the major concerns when it comes to women in undeveloped countries. Many of them are married off at a very young age. Education gives a woman the power to make their own decisions and gives them an identity. By marrying of at a young age many are forced to start a family and live under someone else’s authority. Lack of education limits freedom and the basic knowledge of living which now

We live in a time when, for the most part, men and women are equal to each other. No longer is a woman coerced to marry another solely for the purpose of surviving. Thank goodness for the fact that people are paid equally in the majority of careers. So when a woman’s parents are expecting some form of premature bond between her and a stranger, it is only natural that she decline and continue living her life. Marrying later has become a staple of the twenty-first century so people can further their careers and have a stable income before becoming committed to another. And thus ends the appeal of marriage for some people. In Disney Princess movies, an unrealistic expectation of marriage is created, so people are disappointed when they realize that the union has its ups and downs; it is not just a fairytale where problems are negligible and day-to-day life is rainbows and butterflies. In locations such as India and most of the Eastern Hemisphere, arranged

Poverty is cyclical and the best indicator if a child will end up in poverty is if her parents live in poverty. One common practices among families with girls living in poverty is child marriages. It has been found that poverty is the main driver of child marriage and traps girls and their families in a cycle of poverty (Poverty Girls). The practice of child marriage is more common in families who are already in poverty and perpetuates the cycle. In recent years, child marriage has gained increasing prominence on international and national development agendas. The issue of child marriage has been heavily criticized in India because of its continued practice after appropriate legislation has been passed against it. Child marriage has always been a common practice in India and has continued to flourish because of deep rooted social and cultural customs, illiteracy, poverty, inadequate education opportunities, inferior status of women in society, and poor law enforcement (Bhanderi).

Aaron Churchill and Fagan Patrick points out that children or adults from divorce change their perception about sexual practices and their response towards sexuality. For these young adults, the chances of engaging in pre-marital sex, coitus and divorce dramatically increases however, the need to get married and have kids decreases because they would rather have kids out of wedlock. Patrick Fagan and Aaron Churchill in their article states “clearly, one generation passes on its marital instability to the next. Sons of divorced parents with less educated mothers have an increased tendency to forgo marriage” (Fagan et al. 2012). In addition they suggest that it is likely to find girls who come from a divorced home getting involved in constant and unhealthy sexual activities and also have more sex partners. (Fagan, et al. 2012). Portnoy Sandford claims that the reason for these young females to engage in early sexual intercourse is because divorced families rarely teach sex education or self-control skills to the kids or because the children withdraw from their parents at a very early stage in their life (Portnoy,

Girls not brides webpage reports that over 60% of child brides in developing countries have had no formal education. Non educated adults usually do not understand the value of education leading to decisions that affect the child and their fundamental rights. Generally, girls suffer of genre inequality which leads to the believe that they should not study and are more useful as wife. Girls with education are less likely to get married before the age of 18 years old because education allows them to develop their skills and make wise decisions. On the other hand, girls without access to education and sexuality education are more vulnerable to sexual transmitted diseases (STD) and pregnancies.

Fertility and abortion preferences therefore are based on racial norms, moral standards, family and religious beliefs. Abortion is legal in the United States, even though a higher percentage of the Americans are pro-life, meaning that they don’t support abortion. Depending on their religious and family beliefs, premarital pregnancy may be socially unacceptable. However, generally, there appears to be high rate of premarital sexual activity even among teenagers. The media seems to depict this high rate of premarital sex from simple commercials to full movies. Contraceptives are made available and sex education is encouraged in public schools. According to Sedgh, G., Bankole, A., Singh, S., and Eilers, M. (2013) statistics show an increasing delay in first marriage which may also increase the risk of “unwanted pregnancies.” (Sedgh, G., Bankole, A., Singh, S., & Eilers, M. 2013). Also, there may be a positive correlation between women’s fear of looking “fat” or loosing their “altering” their body shape, may increase demand for induced abortion. A woman’s worth is also not measured by her ability to conceive, as in certain countries. Therefore, it is not unusual for married women to delay or refuse childbearing. This may explain abortion rates among married women in the United

Through the same process in which eve teasing pushes girls out of education, girls who are harassed are also pushed into marriage, before they are physically or mentally prepared. Half of Bangladeshi girls are married before they reach 15 years old,13 and they usually bear their first child while they are still teenagers. Adolescent girls face the risks of childbirth often without medical care and have a high incidence of maternal mortality. Mothers in aged 15 to 19 face a 20 to 200 percent greater chance of dying in pregnancy than women aged 20 to 24.14 There are further implications of child marriages. Bangladesh

Every young girl asks for a new baby Annabel or a new bicycle on the run up to their 11th birthday, but girls all over the world just want the right to an education and a free life. In the developing world girls are getting married to older men from ages 30 up. This can end their chances of an education and puts them at a much greater risk of isolation and violence. For girls under the age of 15 the incidence of an early forced marriage is one in nine; The girls in these undeveloped countries can be married as young as 5 years old. It is time to stop these unforgivable marriages.

Child brides are a little voiced problem that occur around the world. Fourteen million girls become child brides every year, a number that is increasing due to the growing populations of countries where child marriage is common (Fisher). I chose to focus on child brides specifically in Africa and the Middle East due to the high instances of child marriages in those parts of the world. In my research I also found that child brides are very common in South Asia and South America as well. In Niger, Chad, Mali, Bangladesh, Guinea, Central African Republic, Mozambique, and Nepal over half of girls are married before they turn eighteen (Fisher).This is largely due to traditional tribal practices, cultural norms, and an overall lack of education.

Cultural and socioeconomic factors that reinforce child marriage differ from region to region. Where one lives within a country may strongly influence whether or not she will marry early. In India the highest rates of child marriage is concentrated in five states: Madhya Pradesh at 73%, Andhra Pradesh at 71%, Rajasthan at 68%, Bihar at 67 % and Uttar Pradesh at 64%. The median age of marriage in India is 16.4 years according to the National Family Health Survey. [8]It also found that 65% of girls are married by the time they are 18. There are many reasons why child marriage occurs but they can be put into two general categories. The first one is based on social norms, customs and religion. Virginity in India is very important. If one is raped, it is hard for her to be married. “As Vatsayyana said a couple millennia ago that a virgin bride is important, even if people don’t talk about it openly”.[1] Therefore, the younger the bride the more likely it is that she’ll be a virgin and so marrying off the daughter as young as possible, the faster the end of the parent’s responsibility to keep her a virgin.