According to a recent report 24
per cent of girls married under the age of 18 worldwide last year were from
rural Pakistan, whereas 18 per cent were from the country’s urban areas. The
issue of child marriage raises several health concerns for young girls, some of
which include pregnancy complications, health risks for babies born to young
mothers and the risk of death. The report said that girls pregnant under the age
of 15 have a five times greater chance of dying compared with girls pregnant in
their 20s.
Early marriage can also the personal development and growth as a child
constantly undergoes physical, mental and emotional changes before reaching
adulthood. In Pakistan, young girls are sometimes married off to older men,
which poses the risk that the girls might become conditioned to acting
submissive towards their older male counterparts. This can also stunt their
personality development.It was reported that girls married young have more
chances of remaining poor than those who marry later. Moreover, girls should
first be equipped with at least basic education so that they have something to
rely on should a spouse end the marriage or pass away.
Facts About Child Marriage
• According to the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW), 100
million girls will be married before the age of 18 in the coming decade. Most
will be in sub-Saharan Africa and the Asian Subcontinent (Nepal, India,
Pakistan, Bangladesh). In Niger, for example, 77% of women in their early 20s
were married as children. In Bangladesh, 65% were. Child marriage also occurs in
parts of the Middle East, including Yemen and the rural Maghreb.
In the United States, child marriage is still permissible in some states, with
parental or judicial consent.
• Globally, according to UNICEF, 36% of women aged 20-24 were married or in a
union, forced or consensual, before they'd reached 18.
• An estimated 14 million girls between the ages of 15 and 19 give birth each
year. They are twice as likely to die during pregnancy or childbirth than women
in their 20s.
• Girls who marry between the ages of 10 and 14 are five times as likely to die
during pregnancy6 or childbirth as women in their early 20s.
CAN IT BE STOPPED?
Many experts working in this field say that child marriage can be reduced by
improving girls’ access to education and paid work; improving their confidence;
increasing their knowledge of how their bodies work; raising awareness among
communities of the consequences of child marriage; and improving laws and
enforcing them.
The causes of early and forced marriage
The causes of early and forced marriage are complex, interrelated and dependent
on individual circumstances and context. But the practice is driven by these
main factors:
• Gender inequality. Women and girls often occupy a lower status in societies as
a result of social and cultural traditions, attitudes, beliefs that deny them
their rights and stifle their ability to play an equal role in their homes and
communities. In the ten countries with the highest rates of early and forced
marriage, five have laws that permit girls to be married earlier than boys.
• Poverty. In families on a low income, girls may be viewed as an economic
burden. The perception of girls’ potential to earn an income as comparatively
poor pushes girls out of their homes and into marriage. Globally, girls from the
poorest 20% of households are three times more likely to be a victim.
• Negative traditional or religious practices. In many countries the importance
of preserving family ‘honour’ and girls’ virginity is such that parents push
their daughters into marriage well before they are ready. There is a belief that
marriage safeguards against ‘immoral’ or ‘inappropriate behaviour’.