CHILD MARRIAGE
“Amina is a 15years old child bride from Kano, Nigeria. One glance at her, you wonder why a child is suckling a child at the community local health center. She beckons to an older woman, placed the baby in her arms and walks briskly into the bush behind the health care center. This time around, she is dressed in a new Ankara skirt as she held the old one to clean the obviously wet chair she stood up from. Amina got married at the age of 13years old to a 56 years old Adamu, a farmer.
One year after the wedding ceremony, she gives birth to a large child who cry so much at night and suckle hungrily. Amina was diagnosed of obstetric fistula three weeks after childbirth. Amina was sent packing by her husband because she has contracted an “evil disease which makes her smell and leak” (in the words of her husband), she now lives at the mercy of her parents with no education and a baby.”
Amina is 1 in 5 girls who are been married off before their eighteen birthday.
Child marriage is defined as any marriage carried out below the age of 18 years — before the girl is physically, physiologically and psychologically ready to shoulder the responsibilities of marriage and childbearing.
According to Article 1 of the Convention of the Rights of the Child, it says a child means every human being below the age of eighteen years
FACTORS FUELING CHILD MARRIAGE
There are various factors which aid the prevalence of child marriage. These include but not limited to,
POVERTY: In some communities, girls below the ages of 18 years are married off so as to relieve her parents of the responsibility of feeding, clothing and protection. While some girls are married off as a source of financial and social survival. Her families see her as a money making venture whose bride price is a means to their financial growth.
REINFORCEMENT OF SOCIAL TIES: Child marriage is also prevalent as young girls are married off to reinforce the social ties between two families.
PROTECTION OF THE FAMILY DIGNITY: Some communities believe marrying a girl younger than 18 years old preserves her family dignity. In these communities, if a girl marries as a ‘virgin’ — her family dignity is tied to her sexuality which robs her of her own honour and dignity.
INADEQUATE ENFORCEMENT OF THE LAW: Although the Convention of the Rights of the Child stipulates 18 years as an age of majority but some countries do not enforce this law as young girls are married off before the age of 18.
CHILD MARRIAGE: BOYS OR GIRLS?
Child marriage is significant to girls compare to boys. There is a relatively low or no underage marriage of boys. Child marriage violates human rights and children’s rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that individuals must enter marriage freely with full consent and must be of full age.
It is saddening that more than 650 million women and girls alive today were married off before the age of 18. According to the United Nations Population Fund, 1 in 25 boys (3.8%) marry before their 18th birthday compare to 1 in 5 girls that are married of before their 18th birthday.
Girl Child marriage is prevalent as against the almost non-existence of boy child marriage.
CHILD MARRIAGE; THE EFFECT OF SILENCE
There are lot of negative effects ascribed to early marriages. Studies on harmful effects of early marriage shows that girls who are married off. before the age of consent — 18 years, experience sexual intercourse, give birth to more children and also lose more children to neonatal and childhood diseases.
Child marriage damages the mental, physical wellbeing and life chances of young girls.
Girls that are subjected to early marriages are denied the right to education and also the innocence of their childhood.
Child marriage play an important role in the spread of cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is known to be the second most common cause of death from cancer. HPV infection has become endemic to sub-Saharan Africa as child marriage has been known to be one of the major risk factor.
Child marriage is also the leading cause of obstetric fistula.
It is apparent that the negative effect of child marriage outweigh any positive effect.
Our silence will push more girls into bondage. Our silence will increase child marriage. Our silence will be the reason many more Amina won’t enjoy the innocence of their childhood. Our silence will birth more children birthing children. Our silence will cause more harm and no good.
We need to speak and act fast to eradicate child marriage.
