Defined as “any formal marriage or informal union between a child under 18 and an adult or another child” by Unicef, child marriage globally affects 12 million young women every year. FILE PHOTO: REUTERSPIXhave the right to dream and to achieve their fullest potential. However, child marriages rob them of this very basic right and go on to deprive them of their childhood, adolescence, mental and physical well-being.
This National Plan has identified six risk factors for child marriage: poverty, social acceptance of child marriage, lack of access to education, legislation that allows marriage under the age of 18, lack of legal status and rights for undocumented children, and lack of access to sexual and reproductive services.
More alarmingly in developing countries, pregnancy and childbirth complications are the leading causes of death in girls aged between 10 and 19, accounting for 99% of maternal deaths of women aged 15 to 49, which are mostly preventable. Consequently, these girls were at a higher risk of post-traumatic stress disorder, adjustment disorder and anxiety.Lacking confidence and the ability to maintain a healthy married relationship, girls forced into child marriages are at risk of being controlled by their husbands and in-laws.
The lack of education, empowerment, and awareness is an impediment to a girl’s ability to advocate for themselves and hence, they remain trapped in their husband’s homes and unfortunately pass this vicious cycle of poverty, violence and inequality to their own girl children.Evidence has shown that governmental strategies focused on the risk factors, can put an end to the child marriage issue.
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