Ending child marriage in africa human rights watch. Introduction child marriage refers to any marriage of a child younger than eighteen years old, in accordance to article 1 of the convention of the right of the child. Getting married before reaching at this minimum legal age is not only illegal but also against. In algeria, the minimum age of marriage for females is 18, which is quite acceptable. Despite nearuniversal commitments to end child marriage, one in three girls in developing countries. Some of the causes of early marriage in nigeria include conflict, poverty, religion, and tradition. Child marriage is one of the biggest human rights violations in the world. Locating child marriage as a human rights violation also helps to raise it as a grave public concern rather than a private matter between families. However, the rate of child marriage among the poorest quintile. Child marriage fosters poverty, however, as it ensures that girls who marry young will not be properly educated or take part in the workforce.
Child marriage is most common in rural areas 100 80 50 10 90 60 20 70 30 40 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 rural urban child marriage is more common in rural areas child marriage is more common in urban areas togo suriname ghana guyana peru senegal nigeria 15. Forced child marriage is a lifechanging reality for many of the worlds girls. According to the 2014 zdhs, child marriage affects more girls than boys child marriage in zambia. The united nations sustainable development goals call for global action to end this. Ending child marriage and meeting the needs of married. In certain cultures, marrying a girl young presumes that the girls sexuality, therefore the girls. Child marriage denies young people more than the right to decide if, when, and whom to marry it denies them the opportunity to lead healthy and fulfilling lives.
A guide for global policy action makes a strong case for international action, and strengthens the advocacy efforts of development practitioners and womens and childrens rights activists to end child marriage. Each day, 25,000 girls are married and an anticipated 100 million girls. Today, over 60 million marriages include girls under the age of 18 years. The worst form of slavery due to the social effects of child marriage on young children, especially girls, child marriage was formally abolished in 1929, with the enactment of the child marriage restraint act. Child marriage essay introduction causes impact imp days. Rates are 17% in the middle east and north africa, and 11% in eastern europe and central asia.
The issue is more concentrated in countries of sub saharan africa and. Pdf child marriage, society and the law biswajit ghosh. Child marriage is one of the burning problems of indian. A violation of human rights child marriage is a violation of human rights. Ending child marriage in a generation ford foundation. Recognising child marriage as a social evil, the child marriage restraint act cmra 1929, popularly known as the sharda act, prohibited child marriages. The prevalence of child marriage in senegal is 31% before age 18 and 8. Child protection information sheet child marriage is a violation of human rights whether it happens to a girl or a boy, but it represents perhaps the most prevalent form of sexual abuse and exploitation of girls.
Although child marriage has declined by 25% from 41. Child, early, and forced marriage globally, the rate of child marriage is declining,8 but the rate of progress is not fast enough. Child spouses in 2001, exploring both the reasons behind the perpetuation of child marriage and its harmful impact. Pdf child marriage is still a massive problem in many developing countries. Handbook on the prohibition of child marriage act, 2006. The national prevalence has decreased by 16 percentage points in 20 years and is today below the regional average 42%. If the present trend continues, 100 million girls will marry over the next decade. Every year approximately 14 million girls are married as children across countries, cultures, religions and ethnicities. This amounts to 42,905 girls married before age 18 every year, of which 11,764 are married before age 15.
A world without child marriage where girls and women enjoy equal status with boys and men and are able to achieve their full potential in all aspects of their lives. In simple terms, child marriage is the marriage of a person aged before majority. In most cases young girls get married off to significantly older men when they are still children. For a nation which is touted to be the next emerging superpower nation, it is a disturbing reality that evils like child marriages still persist. However some countries allow marriages at 16 years as well, especially for the girl children. A theory of change on child marriage girls not brides. Many factors interact to place a child at risk of marriage, including poverty, the perception that marriage will provide protection, family honor, social norms, customary or religious laws that condone the practice, an inadequate legislative framework and the state of a countrys civil registration system. Child marriage is a practice that robs millions of girls of their childhood, their. The human rights agenda helps to view child marriage through the lenses of both civil and political rights and economic, social and cultural rights covenants. Some as young as 8 or 9 are forced to trade their childhoods for a life that can be defined by isolation, violence and illness. Focus shall be put on child marriage in general exemplified in particular by two countries in.
Evidence from subsaharan africa, international perspectives on sexual and. Wpf and iheu therefore urge all governments to end child marriage. The study provides a clear economic rationale for ending child marriage. Zimbabwe ratified the convention on the rights of the child in 1990, which sets a minimum age of marriage of 18, and acceded to the convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women cedaw in 1991, which obligates states to ensure free and full consent to marriage. The causes, consequences and solutions to forced child.
Child marriage is not only a social issue with potentially dramatic consequences for child brides and their children. Despite setting a goal of ending child marriage in bangladesh by 2041, sheikh hasina has also proposed legislation that would lower the age of marriage for girls to 16 from the current age of 18. Child marriage prevalence is the percentage of women aged 20 to 24 years who were married or in. Child marriage statistics show child brides have a diminished chance of completing their education and are at a higher risk of being physically abused, contracting hiv and other diseases, and dying while pregnant or giving. Each of the factors connected to early and child marriage cannot be understood in isolation. A perspective article pdf available in international journal of scientific and engineering research 77. Early marriage and forced marriage is most common in subsaharan africa where 38% of girls become child brides. In most of the countries the minimum legal age for the child marriage is 18 years. Child marriage often occurs in the shadows of poverty and gender inequality, impeding efforts to empower girls and boys and achieve longterm, sustainable development. Child marriage in india according to a united nations report, india has the second highest number of child marriages. It is both a symptom and a cause of ongoing development challenges, as the practice of child marriage further contributes to.
Child marriage impedes girls education the education a girl receives is the strongest predictor of the age she will marry, according to icrw analysis in 18 of the 20 countries with the highest prevalence of child marriage. A minor in a child marriage can be a girl or a boy, but the large majority of child marriages are between a girl and a man, and are rooted in gender inequality although the age of majority legal adulthood and marriageable age are usually designated at age 18. Child marriages in india the red elephant foundation december 20 e 4 introduction child marriage refers to the marriage of a child younger than 18 years old,1 in accordance to article 1 of the convention on the right of the child. Among girls growing up in south asia, 30% experience early marriage, compared with 25% in latin america and the caribbean. The object of this research is to look into under what circumstances child marriage does exist and how girls living conditions can be improved. While the prevalence of child marriage has decreased worldwide from one in four girls married a decade ago to approximately one in five today the practice remains widespread. Each day, approximately 37,000 girls under age 18 are married. Marriage should be a time for celebration and joy unless you are one of the 64 million girls around the world forced into marriage before the age of 18. The digest provides guidelines towards ending the practice of child marriage through changing attitudes within families and societies, expanding opportunities for education, offering appropriate support to. The cumulative effects of reduced school attainment, maternal morbidities and mortality, and the longterm impact of early marriage and childbearing on children are well documented. Early child marriage in nigeria child marriage customs, a situation whereby children are given into marriage well before they attain puberty occur all over the world particularly in africa, asia, and south america. Child marriage refers to any formal marriage or informal union between a child under the age of 18 and an adult or another child.
While much of the impact remains hidden, it is absolutely clear that millions of children and young people particularly girls suffer negative consequences. This digest looks at the reasons for the perpetuation of early marriage, and its possi. One of the most powerful tools that antichild marriage organizations and womens rights advocates have been campaigning for is to make child marriage illegal by raising the legal age of marriage. In despite of all attention drawn to child marriage across the world, there is a lack of improvement.
Child marriage is an ageold practice that has both social and religious sanction and cuts across all sections of society. Marriage before the age of 18 is a fundamental violation of human rights. Child marriage is a marriage or similar union, formal or informal, between an adult and a child or another child under age eighteen. Child marriage is also a uniquely challenging impediment to development. The pdf for prohibition of child marriage act, 2006 also has internal links to help you read those sections or bare acts quickly the pdf for prohibition of child marriage act, 2006 is fit for mobile phones and has a good font.
Harmful cultural practices, such as child marriage and female genital mutilation fgm, are discriminatory practices committed regularly over such long periods of time that communities and societies begin to consider them acceptable around the world, hundreds of millions of girls and boys have experienced some form of violence, exploitation or harmful practice, although girls are at much. Child marriage includes any legal or customary union involving a boy or girl below the age of 18. Percentage of women aged 20 to 49 years who were married or in union before ages. Child marriage, defined as marriage of a child under 18 years of age, is a silent and yet widespread practice. Prohibition of child marriage act, 2006 pdf download. Child marriage in the middle east and north africa, united.
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