Here is a story about a girl named, Najma He was just
15 years old and married a man twice her age. Domestic violence was a regular
activity of her life. She was always told by her mother and mother-in-law that
such abuse was normal and a wife’s duty to perform it.
Najma did not have control over her life, suffered long-term abuse in her
marriage, and was not realistically able to leave her husband. She was in
slavery.
Marriage involving children under 18-years-old remains a widely culturally
accepted practice in many corners of the globe. UNICEF estimates that 11% of
women worldwide were married before reaching the age of 15. Although boys can be
affected by the practice, it is mostly girls who suffer slavery as a consequence
of child marriage.
It should be noted that many marriages involving children will not amount to
slavery, particularly between couples aged 16 to 18 years. However, child
marriage can also obscure what are actually cases of slavery or slavery-like
practices.
When is child marriage considered slavery?
• If the child has not genuinely given their free and informed consent to enter
the marriage
• If the child is subjected to control and a sense of “ownership” in the
marriage itself, particularly through abuse and threats and is exploited by
being forced to undertake domestic chores within the marital home or labor
• If the child cannot realistically leave or end the marriage, leading
potentially to a lifetime of slavery.
Children may not realistically be able to leave their marriage. For example,
they may not be able to support themselves financially or may fear repercussions
from in-laws and the wider community, as well as their own families. Girls who
leave their marriages without support are often vulnerable to other forms of
slavery and exploitation.