6 minutes read
Child marriage is a tragic reality faced by millions of girls and boys in Asia. In particular South Asia has the highest numbers of the worldś child brides (290 million) accounting for 45% of the global total. Bangladesh and Nepal are among the top 20 most prevalent countries for child marriage. Child, early & forced marriage is a harmful traditional practise that robs children of their childhood, limits their potential often posing risks to their physical health and emotional wellbeing.
According to UNICEF, child marriage is defined as the practice of formally or informally marrying children under the age of 18 with another child or adult. It often involves a situation where one or both people enter the marriage without consent or free will. Threats, coercion, psychological pressure & even violence is used to force children into early marriages. It is a gross violation of human & child rights as enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). Victims of child marriage miss out on their education as it remains a leading cause for school drop out, pushes girls out of workforce and limits their livelihood opportunities. It often results in teenage pregnancies, unsafe motherhood and even leads to death due to early age and pregnancy related health complications. In summary, it is a violation of several human rights- including the right to education, health, freedom, reproductive rights and protection from physical and psychological harm – and it increases the risk of child exploitation, abuse and violence.
Root causes
There are several root causes of child marriages. Girls economic dependency makes them particularly vulnerable to child marriage; especially in the Asia culture where patriarchy is a deeply embeded phenomeon. Across Asia there is a gendered division of labour according to which girls are responsible for child bearing, home making and providing family care whilst men are responsible for providing income and livelihood. Younger females have less choice and influence on the decisions about who they marry and when they marry. Furthermore there is a lack of importance attached to consent and in traditional conservative communities, the girl is never even asked to give her consent, as opposed to boys who are formally asked about it during the marriage ceremony.
Negative social norms and parental perceptions also play a key role as parents regard it as an important parental responsibility to marry off their daughters, thinking of doing so in the best socio-economic interest of the girl child. It is important to emphasize that in additional to traditional norms, child marriage mainly occurs due to economic insecurity. As girls are economically dependent on males for financial security, they are more vulnerable to exploitation including through forced and early marriages. Ironically child marriage of girls is often considered a relief for the family from the burden of supporting a daughter.
Male sexual violence and control over female sexuality is another big driver of child marriages in Asia. An unmarried girl is often seen as a threat for her familyś social reputation and honour in the community. This creates considerable incentives for parents to marry off their daughters at the earliest opportunity to avoid social stigma.
Finally, there is weak implementation of legal frameworks and policies that can prohibit child marriage from occuring. In most countries across Asia, there are existing national laws with an established minimum age requirement for marriage. However they are not widely known, implemented and adhered to. There is inconsistency between policy and its practise with lack of monitoring, coordinated action compounded by lack of financial and human resources. In many cases, the malpractice of bribery and corruption at local levels makes it easier to coerce and push under aged children into marriages.
Fighting child marriage
Over the years, a host of organisations have been working to address this really complicated issue of child marriage. While some progress has been made, we still have a long and hard way to go. In the context of fighting child marriage, it is really important to addressing poverty and lack of opportunity for girls at institutional level.
Provision of income generation activities and social protection schemes is needed to pull families out of intergenerational cycle of poverty and economic insecurity; a leading cause of child marriage. Targeted programs for improving access to education for girls with a special emphasis on transition from primary school to secondary education is an effective way of curtailing girls early and forced marriages at post primary school level. Provision of scholarships, conditional cash transfers linked to girls school enrolment and attendance have proven to be an effective counter strategy.
Promoting safety of girls at the school and community level with strict legal action for perpetrators of violence against women and girls is essential to create a conducive environment to prevent child marriages. Awareness raising on sexual and reproductive health and services is an essential element of supporting breaking the stereotypes and stigma that puts girls at increased risk of forced and early marriages.
Finally there is a very strong need of strengthening the legal architecture and framework for fuller and effective implementation of policies against child marriage. Capacity building and sensitization of police, law enforcement agencies, marriage registration bodies, religious leaders, teachers and community groups is needed so they understand the negative impacts of child marriage and can join the fight against it.
A Catalyst for Systemic Change
Terre des Hommes Netherlands (TDH NL)’s strategic ambition is to be a catalyst for systemic change to stop child exploitation. By empowering children and communities, connecting them with those who have the power to enact change, we are committed to expanding and utilising our technical knowledge to co-create long term and sustainable solutions. We are also committed to ensuring that all children are empowered to make safe choices and their agency acknowledged. Particularly those who are at risk or have been affected are heard; at family, community and policy levels.
It is equally important for us to advocate that immediate survival rights and basic needs of children and their families are properly met. This will allow them to make safe choices and cope with economic shocks, displacement or climate related vulnerabilities.
We advocate with governments and inform parents and caregivers about the harmful and negative impact of child marriages, so they can address the patriarchal imbalances of power and prevent child marriages from happening. We advocate for safe spaces for survivors and children at risk so they are dealt with dignity, compassion and care that is trauma informed.
Finally, we generate evidence that incorporates the diverse voices of children and young people highlighting intersectionality of power imbalances and innovative solutions to address it. Working in strategic partnerships at national and regional levels, we can all join hands and work together in a spirit of collaboration to fight this menace of child marriage. We can do this better together.
