South Asia and Child Marriages

There are many pressing social issues in the world's developing countries. South Asia is also the region of developing countries. The issue which is on my pen point is " child marriages", but the question is what is child marriage?. The mean of child marriage is the marriage taking place before the age of 18. Roughly the ratio of gender is equal in the world 50.40 % male and 49.60 % female. The South Asian sex ratio is male 51.40 % and female 48.60 %. In South Asian region 48% (10 million) of girls married before the age of 18. The world 24% under 18 years marriages and 15 million girls under the age of 15 married every year. According to the UNFPA, if the current level of child marriages held 14.20 million girls annually or 39,000 daily will marry too young till to 2020.

India sex ratio of 877 females per 1000 males.The ratio of child marriage in India is 47% And 24% of world child marriages occurred in this 2nd number world's populated country after the China. Bangladesh is on 8th number population vise which's gender ratio is 105 males for every 100 females in and the ratio of child marriages is 66%. On 46th number populated country Afghanistan gender ratio is 105 males on every 100 females in but the ratio of child marriages in this very country is 39%. World 6th populated country Pakistan sex ratio according recent census is 51% male and 49 % female. In Pakistan 30% of marriages come under the category of child marriages in which 24% from rural side and 18 % from urban side. Its mean in South Asia 48% girls are married before the age of 18. Africa on 2nd number in the list of child marriages after South Asia.

Child marriages have alot of consequences like violation of human rights,woman rights and child rights . It has also health concern problems like HTDs HIV/AIDS, Cancer etc. Girls younger than 15 are five times more likely die during child birth than older woman and under 18 mothers baby is 60% more likely die in its first year of life than the one born to a mother above 18. She can't get proper physical growth and maturity. Due to this she can't perform the role of a responsible house wife and mother . She can't get compulsory education which increase the ratio of illiteracy in the world. Child marriage also same dangerous for boy as for as girl but girl suffer more.

There are certen reasons of child marriages like lack of awareness about education and human rights law, poor legislative laws, due to poverty, culture and tradition, religion, enmity resolving in the shape of (Vani, Savara) and history. Many international, national and local organizations working on child marriages but now its time that youth come forward and take a step, launch a volunteer campaign as they have launched for education by the title of Ilmpossible. It is the time that youth stand up as a Active Citizens and bring the change from lower to upper level.