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What You Need to Know about Child Marriage in Iraqi Kurdistan

Child Marriage in Iraqi KurdistanChild marriage remains a significant issue in the Iraqi Kurdistan region. It occurs in regions where poverty is prevalent, such as India, Africa and the Middle East. Campaigns and legislative frameworks have been implemented to combat the issue.

Prevalence

Data from Iraq’s Central Bureau of Statistics showed that 5% of Iraqi girls were married before the age of 15, while approximately 22% of Iraqi girls married before they turned 18. Child marriage contracts in the Kurdistan region are often concluded informally outside the courts. The marriages are not formally registered, leading to the underreporting of actual rates. There are international legal instruments and local laws that set a minimum age for marriage and require registration. However, enforcement of these laws is often weak. This allows informal marriages to occur without legal repercussions.

Key Drivers of Child Marriage

Several factors contribute to child marriage in Iraqi Kurdistan.

  1. Conflict and Displacement: Conflict and displacement exacerbate vulnerabilities, leading families to marry off daughters to reduce economic burdens.
  2. Cultural and Social Norms: Traditional beliefs and social pressures can impact this. Some communities may view early marriage as ensuring their daughter’s future and protecting her family’s honor.
  3. Gender inequalities: Deep-rooted gender inequality and gender biases subordinate the status of women and girls in societies that perpetuate the practices.

Risks of Child Marriage

Young girls who marry as children face numerous risks. They are vulnerable to health issues as a consequence of rape, early pregnancy and premature childbirth. Psychologically, they may suffer from social isolation enforced by their families and domestic violence. Despite legal measures, violence and rape remain prevalent in child marriages due to inadequate official responses.

In Iraq, although rape is criminalized, charges can be dropped if the victim marries the perpetrator. Moreover, since spousal rape is not criminalized, domestic violence is seldom reported, with families often resolving issues privately.

Legal Contexts

“The Personal Status Law and Amendments 1987 sets the legal age for marriage at 18”. However, judges can permit girls as young as 15 to marry under certain circumstances, for example, parental consent if the marriage is deemed as being in the best interests of the girl. This contributes to the prevalence of child marriage in the region. Proposed bill changes to Iraq’s Personal Status Law recently alarmed women and children’s rights campaigners.

The proposed amendments would allow Muslim citizens to choose between secular and religious laws for family matters, potentially legalizing child marriage for girls as young as 9. Furthermore, these amendments would undermine existing protections for women regarding divorce and inheritance. These changes could institutionalize sectarianism in family law and empower religious authorities, raising significant concerns among women and children’s rights advocates. On July 28, 2024, a group of activists, including campaigners from the Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq (OWFI), gathered in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square in opposition to the bill.

Actions Taken

In 2016, an Inter-Ministerial committee in Kurdistan adopted a plan to change societal attitudes toward child marriage. The plan included launching a campaign called “Ensuring My Future.” The campaign emphasized the direct link between empowering young boys and girls and reducing child marriage rates. It also challenged the misconception that child marriage secures a girl’s future. The plan targets young girls, adolescent girls and parents by showcasing success stories of women in various professional fields to inspire girls to pursue education and careers. Additionally, religious and health arguments are used to persuade families to abandon the practice of marrying their daughters at a young age.

A Child Marriage Task Force was established in Kurdistan in 2016. The task force has representation from child protection and gender-based violence working groups to coordinate responses and provide guidance. It focuses on prevention strategies, policy recommendations, awareness raising, and improving data collection to address the issue in the region effectively.

There is also an increased collaboration between international organizations, local nongovernmental organizations and government bodies to address child marriage. Initiatives like the Global Programme to End Child Marriage, implemented by the United Nations Population Fund and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), are working to create sustainable change by addressing the root causes of child marriage and supporting affected girls.

These include a comprehensive approach that empowers girls with education and life skills. Furthermore, it engages communities to challenge harmful norms, strengthens support systems and services, advocates for protective policies, and emphasizes data collection. UNICEF has reported that the collaborative efforts of various organizations fighting against child marriage, including Girls Not Brides, have successfully averted 25 million arranged child marriages.

Final Remark

Progress has been made to eradicate child marriage in Iraqi Kurdistan. However, continued efforts are needed to empower girls and shift societal norms to ensure a future where every child can enjoy their right to a safe and fulfilling childhood.

– Hannah Ravariere

Hannah is based in London, UK and focuses on Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Legislation Passed: Child Marriage in Sierra Leone is Banned

Child Marriage in Sierra LeoneOn July 2, 2024, President Julius Maada Bio signed the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act to end the widespread practice in Sierra Leone.

Law That Aims to Protect

In Sierra Leone, a milestone has been achieved in the country; the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act was recently signed into effect, eradicating all child marriages younger than the age of 18. This includes conspiracy, aiding and abetting a child to enter marriage; violators can expect strict penalties if found guilty, with punishments of up to 15 years in prison and approximately $4,000 fine.

Obligations on community and religious leaders will require them to take strong measures so they don’t officiate child marriages and no person is allowed to attend the ceremony involving a child. It will also prevent cohabitation with a child regardless of whether married or not, criminalizing both as offenses.

The new bill contributes to protecting women, girls and children from harmful practices, even employing marriage prohibition officers who will work within communities to advise and issue reports, ensuring the law is being followed.

The Scale of Child Marriage

According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), an estimated 800,000 child brides reside in Sierra Leone, with half having been married before the age of 15 years. Child marriage is common in the country, with 30% of girls aged 20 to 24 years old married before age 18 and 13% married before age 15.

The reasons for child marriage are complex and vary: poverty, education, gender inequality, religion and even inheritance are all factors related to this ongoing issue. Families with limited resources seek to find ways for their children to gain opportunities; by offering a bride in the form of a child, the motivation is not just economic, but also a custom and local practice.

Education, FGM and Risks

The effects of child marriage have been devasting, resulting in many disadvantages for women and girls throughout their lives. Girls are often less educated and unable to complete secondary school, which limits their employment opportunities. This makes them underrepresented in skilled and professional industries and digital literacy, such as the internet, cell phones and technology that can provide them access to more resources and information.

There is also the divisive practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) used to initiate girls into womanhood and prepare them for marriage. It’s a method of suppressing women’s and girls’ sexual urges and keeping them focused on the woman’s responsibilities and duties she will face within her home. According to the 2019 Sierra Leone Demographic and Health Survey, 83% of women and girls aged between 15 and 49 years have undergone FGM.

Final Remark

Additional concerns that must be addressed are fear of retaliation for having a family member imprisoned and increased poverty, which will prevent many from following the new law. Therefore, it will take much involvement from the community for this law to make a substantial impact. The benefits for women, girls and children are great for now. They can finish school, gain more skills and seek opportunities. Most of all, they can enjoy childhood without the pressures of being forced into child marriage.

– Tanita Love

Tanita is based in Chicago, IL, USA and focuses on Good News and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash

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Ending Child Marriage in Guinea

Child Marriage in GuineaChild marriage occurs in many countries but Guinea has some of the highest prevalence rates in the world. The World Bank defines child marriage as a “marriage or union taking place before the age of 18.” Many often associate it with poverty and low levels of education, and it disproportionally affects girls. There are several successful programs to reduce child marriage in Guinea.

Affected Population

In Guinea, though the law states that the minimum age of marriage is 18, this is not always upheld in practice. According to Girls Not Brides, 47% of girls marry before 18 and 17% of girls marry before the age of 15. This compares with 2% of boys who are married before age 18.

Rates of child marriage differ based on location. Rates of child marriage are two times higher in rural than urban areas, which may coincide with higher levels of poverty in the countryside. Child marriage in Guinea is more common in some areas of the country than others, with the highest rate being in Labé where 76% of children marry before 18, according to Girls Not Brides.

Reasons behind Child Marriage

Child marriages are often done with parental consent and because of financial worries, as children can be offered in exchange for goods. Other reasons include religious beliefs and fears of girls falling pregnant outside of marriage, Girls Not Brides reports.

Child marriage brings many dangers to these girls; 95% of girls married before 18 experience FGM/C, according to Girls Not Brides. Girls who are married as children are more likely to give birth earlier and experience complications in these pregnancies. They also have a higher chance of contracting infections like HIV and are at a higher risk of experiencing domestic violence.

Child Marriage and Poverty

Guinea is experiencing high levels of poverty with, according to the World Bank, 43.7% of people living below the poverty line – this equates to 5.8 million people. Statistically, there is a strong positive correlation between rates of poverty and rates of child marriage. This can be seen in Guinea; Labé is one of the poorest areas of the country with 66% of people living below the poverty. The city also has the highest rate of child marriage in Guinea. 

UNICEF has identified that increasing access to education is a significant contributing factor to reducing rates of child marriage. According to Girls Not Brides, 63% of women without an education marry before 18, compared with 26% with secondary level education or higher. Therefore, a key aspect of tackling child marriage is increasing access to education; this is also an important aim of downsizing poverty.

Solutions

Though Guinea is amongst the highest in the world for child marriage, some changes are taking place. The country signed up to the SDGs, one of which aims to end child marriage. Guinea also signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child and in 2017 launched the African Union Campaign to End Child Marriage in Africa, according to Girls Not Brides. This campaign began in 2014 and aims to target the countries in Africa most affected by child marriage. It has given countries and leaders space to advocate for girls’ rights and has encouraged many countries to change their laws regarding child marriage. It has also led to more research on child marriage, providing important information on its impacts.

UNICEF has implemented the Fundamental Skills Improvement Programme, which trains teachers with the overall aim of improving the reading and mathematical abilities of children in Guinea. At the beginning of the program, 61% of students could not identify numbers. Just six months into the scheme this decreased to only 4%. Because of this success, many other schools are applying to the program, increasing its reach from 1,500 students to almost 6,000.

Equity Committee

The U.S. government has also offered help to increase access to education; the USAID education programme created an Equity Committee to grow the number of girls in education. The World Bank also joined this to fund studies into how to educate girls, as it was such uncharted territory, as well as running publicity campaigns to encourage more girls, and their families, to access education. This resulted in the percentage of girls attending school increasing from 23% to 36% and the percentage of boys rising from 51% to 66% in just four years.

This increase in education has had an impact on the number of child marriages in Guinea. There has been an overall decrease in the number of child marriages: the World Bank has reported that the mean age of marriage in 18-22-year-olds is 15.5, compared with 16.8 in 18-49-year-olds, therefore showing a decline.

There have been notable improvements and the future opportunities are looking brighter for Guinea’s young people as work continues to decrease child marriage in Guinea. By continuing to increase the number of children, especially girls, accessing education and by downsizing poverty, Guinea can further the progress made to eradicate child marriage.

– Eryn Greenaway

Eryn is based in England and focuses on Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Addressing Child Marriage in Wales

Child marriage in WalesMore than 41,000 young girls worldwide are subject to child marriage each day. However, on February 27, 2022, the legal age of marriage in England and Wales had risen to 18 years old. Under the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022, this is the case for forced, unforced and “traditional” ceremonies that are legally non-binding, but which the parties and their families still view as marriages.

Karma Nirvana campaigned for a long 10 years to fight for the legal age to increase from 16 to 18 to help prevent child marriage in Wales. The “huge leap forward” in tackling “this usually hidden abuse,” said Natasha Rattu, director of the Karma Nirvana charity, which is a member of the Girls Not Brides Coalition exemplifies the progression that is occurring in tackling this truly disgusting arrangement, according to the U.K. Government’s official website.

Legislation and Challenges

Before February 2022, 16 and 17-year-olds could get married or be in civil partnership with parental/guardian consent. Following the passing of the legislation, getting married or a civil partnership under the age of 18 is now illegal and a criminal offence. Causing a child to get married under the age of 18 could result in a prison sentence of up to seven years. Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Dominic Raab MP, said “This law will better protect vulnerable people, by cracking down on forced marriage in our society,” according to the U.K. Government’s official website.

Despite the law being effective in England and Wales, the same cannot be said abroad. Many children are being taken abroad to marry underage. In its 2023 case study, Karma Nirvana reports on a 13-year-old girl whose mother took her to Pakistan to marry her cousin aged 19. Despite social services working on raising awareness, some people did not take the situation seriously.

Child Marriage and Poverty

Around 30% of children in Wales are living in poverty and child marriage could only worsen this figure. Underage marriage and civil partnerships are often people from deprived backgrounds so if the child is part of that 30% then the vicious cycle of poverty could only continue into the next generation. For example, in Africa, girls from socioeconomically disadvantaged families are two times more likely to marry before 18 than girls from wealthier families.

Child marriage deprives girls of “opportunities, education and access to paid employment.” When girls are married young they are much less likely to attend the legal requirement of education and stay in the educational system until they are 18 years old.

Cases

In the U.K., the Home Office’s Forced Marriage Unit supported more than 1,400 suspected cases of forced child marriage in 2016. Also, according to official government data, there were 1,009 marriages involving at least one individual under 18 in England and Wales in 2018. About 165 children in England and Wales were at risk of child marriage between 2018-2019. In 2021, the government’s forced marriage unit provided advice or support in 118 cases involving victims aged under 18.

Despite the law being passed, officially there are “no applicable” records to show the progression made since the law was made. In the hope that the figures have decreased behind closed doors and since child marriage has become illegal, the effects have only been positive for victims who are subjected to unlawful underage marriage.

– Sadie Virgin

Sadie is based in Newport, UK and focuses on World News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Pixabay

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Addressing Child Marriage in Ghana

Child Marriage in GhanaChild marriage, a human rights violation disproportionally affecting girls, is deeply ingrained within Ghanaian life. Despite the 1992 constitution unequivocally outlawing the practice, 5% of girls in Ghana are married before their 15th birthday and 20% before the age of 18.

A Multifaceted Issue

Child marriage is difficult to eradicate in Ghana because it is rooted in cultural norms and is a symptom of deep-seated gender inequality that commodifies girls and women. Parents may betroth their young daughters to evade the risk of out-of-wedlock pregnancy, which is intertwined with notions of family honor, or in exchange for a bride price. These practices affect girls from rural communities more than twice as much as those residing in urban areas.

Financial hardship is a powerful catalyst for marriage because the latter often acts as an economic harbor for girls and their families; 33% of female minors from Ghana’s poorest wealth quintile marry before they turn 18, compared with 5% from the richest. Moreover, child marriage in Ghana often comes with a lack of formal education. In the absence of alternative prospects, 43% of Ghanaian girls who have not completed secondary education marry as children, compared with 13% who have, UNICEF reports.

The Impacts of Child Marriage in Ghana

With more than 90% of child brides in Ghana aged between 15 and 17 out of school, compared with 18% of their peers, according to UNICEF data, child marriage disempowers girls by cutting them off from their potential and preventing them from engaging in their communities and Ghana’s labor market. Despite the temporary financial relief the practice may offer, it keeps generations of young women stagnated in poverty and in turn hampers Ghana’s socioeconomic development.

Furthermore, beyond the violating nature of the practice itself, child brides are more likely to experience intimate partner violence than women who marry as adults. Globally, girls who marry before 15 are 50% more at risk. With one in five child brides in Ghana married to a man 10 or more years their senior, according to UNICEF data, severely imbalanced power dynamics, combined with reduced access to personal development through education, could leave them vulnerable to continued exploitation. Those who become pregnant also find themselves at a heightened risk of related health complications and maternal death.

Efforts to Protect Girls

The government has shown a strong commitment to eliminating child marriage in Ghana, which is reflected in tangible progress. The proportion of girls married as minors fell from 34% in 1993 to 19% in 2018, according to UNICEF, placing Ghana ahead of the vast majority of other West and Central African nations.

In 2014, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection instituted the Child Marriage Unit, which champions new initiatives and coordinates national efforts to end the practice. Furthermore, in 2016 the government launched its 10-year National Strategic Framework on Ending Child Marriage in Ghana, which sets clear goals and provides direction to all institutions involved, creating a holistic action plan, according to UNICEF.

A 2019 survey revealed a consensus in Ghana that authorities could better enforce the law when it comes to child marriage and that local chiefs should make greater use of their platforms to speak up against it. ActionAid Ghana is one of many NGOs to recognize the necessity of uprooting the practice on a local level, training community-led anti-violence teams that work to bring the issue to light and commune with the authorities to impose justice on the perpetrators.

Education as a Pathway

The UNFPA-UNICEF Global Programme to End Child Marriage has partnered with Girls Not Brides to develop the Child Marriage Research to Action Network (CRANK), which gathers the latest and most robust data on child marriage, and advocates for policy changes and initiatives addressing these findings. The most recent report identifies education as fundamental to steering girls clear of the practice and promoting other protective factors such as engagement with health services.

CAMFED is one of several NGOs working in this area. In addition to providing financial backing to female students living in impoverished rural areas, it has implemented several initiatives centered on community development. The Learner Guides Program trains female graduates and former beneficiaries of CAMFED’s support as mentors for girls in their districts. They learn how to deliver the My Better World program, which empowers girls by helping them to set goals and develop skills that will aid them in future life. Learner Guides also act as empathetic role models, providing pastoral support and health information and connecting vulnerable girls to the appropriate services. They can also access interest-free loans through the program, allowing them to start local businesses and in turn increase their prospects and generate jobs.

CAMFED Ghana has helped more than 248,000 girls access school through donor funds, and its community initiatives and members of the CAMFED Association, a growing network of young women from various backgrounds spearheading CAMFED’s projects, have supported more than 846,000. Its work addresses several other priority areas that the latest CRANK report highlights, such as the importance of female entrepreneurship and of creating safe spaces to empower and inform girls.

Moving Forward

Despite significant progress, child marriage in Ghana persists and more remains to be done to change this. However, momentum characterizes the country’s fight against the practice. Hope is strong for a future where child marriage cannot extinguish the light of childhood for any more of Ghana’s girls.

– Leila Powles

Leila is based in Cheltenham, UK and focuses on Global Health and World News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Child Marriage in Burkina Faso

Child Marriage in Burkina FasoDespite the implementation of the National Strategy for the Prevention and Elimination of Child Marriage in 2015, girls in Burkina Faso remain more likely than not to be married before they turn 18. The strategy outlines commitments aimed at ending child marriage in Burkina Faso by 2025. According to the United Nations (U.N.), however, current rates of progress anticipate it to take another 300 years to end child marriage around the world.

Education levels, humanitarian crises and economic hardship all contribute to Burkina Faso having the fifth highest prevalence rate of child marriage in the world, according to Girls Not Brides. Girls Not Brides is a leading global partnership to end child marriage that engages communities in open discussion to raise awareness of the harmful impact of child marriage, support girls who have been affected by an early or forced marriage and defend girls’ right to health, education and equal opportunity.

The Pressures Facing Young Girls in Burkina Faso

The practice of girls being subjected to early or forced marriages in Burkina Faso has been in place for generations. Rates have either stayed the same or increased in the past three decades due to growing instability in some areas, particularly the Sahel region. Girls are often exchanged or married off as soon as they are born, often due to financial agreements between families or in the pursuit of social advantage.

The consequences facing girls who refuse these arrangements are dire and often result in social exclusion and violence. Pog-lenga, meaning woman gift or bonus woman, is a common practice in Burkina Faso involving a bride bringing a niece or female relative to her wedding as a gift that a friend or family member of her new husband is entitled to take.

Education as a Game-Changer

In Burkina Faso, uneducated girls are four times more likely to experience child marriage than those with a secondary or higher education. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the situation, leading to a decline in education levels as more than 2,000 schools closed, impacting more than 300,000 children.

Educating girls is not viewed as a necessity, as the expectation is for them to be quickly married, involved in household duties and have children at a young age. About 52% of girls in Burkina Faso will be married before they turn 18. This expectation for girls to have children as soon as they marry often leads to life-threatening health complications caused by childbirth at such a young age. Death during childbirth is the second biggest cause of death worldwide for girls between 15 and 19. However, maternal mortality in Burkina Faso is lower than the regional average.

Aside from lowering young girls’ chances of child marriage, education can transform how boys and men perceive the issue. Amnesty International found that boys often viewed forced marriage as a good thing as it “can be hard to get a girl” and often demonstrated that they were oblivious to any laws prohibiting forced or young marriages in Burkina Faso. The young men who were against forced marriages tended to be university-educated.

Girls Not Brides

In May 2019, Girls Not Brides joined a national partnership with the Coalition Nationale Contre le Mariage des Enfans au Burkina Faso (CONAMEB), which began in 2013 and now comprises more than 60 member organizations. CONAMEB promotes girls’ rights through raising awareness, policy and advocacy activities to end child marriage. The current mission is to raise the legal age of marriage for girls to 18 without exception. It is currently 15 for girls and 18 for boys when authorized by civil courts. The initiative also aims to educate the entire population on the commercial benefits of ending child marriage.

Other Initiatives

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Global Programme to End Child Marriage, initiated in 2016, has made significant strides in supporting more than 20,000 schools across various countries, including Burkina Faso, in enhancing adolescent girl-friendly education.

Burkina Faso was also the first country in West and Central Africa to adopt the National Strategy for the Prevention and Elimination of Child Marriage. While Burkina Faso still has some of the highest rates of child marriages in the world, significant progress is being made in educating the population and passing strict, clear laws against child marriage.

– Bea Newington-Bridges

Bea is based in Edinburgh, Scotland and focuses on Global Health and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Solutions in the Fight Against Child Marriage in Somalia

Child Marriage in SomaliaAbout 36% of girls in Somalia are married before the age of 18 and 17% are married before the age of 15. Child marriage is expected in a lot of underdeveloped countries and is often a direct product of poverty. Somalia’s government does not have a national strategy or action plan to help combat this issue.

Causes of Child Marriage

Girls Not Brides is a nongovernmental organization committed to action against child marriage by mobilizing communities and drafting solutions. According to the organization, high rates of child marriage can be attributed to many factors, including gender inequality. Somalian girls are often married young to protect family honor. The social norms in the country emphasize the protection of young girls before marriage.

These young women are married for increased protection measures, mitigating instances of sexual violence or abuse. However, gender inequality is only one small portion of a larger problem: poverty. Often, in times of crisis and disaster, families use child marriage as a solution to cope with severe economic hardship.

The European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, a commission that supports countries based on international humanitarian law, reports that at least 6.9 million individuals in Somalia need humanitarian aid this year alone. Nearly half of the population is in severe need. Child brides are one solution to cope with such hardship. Higher rates of child marriage are further exacerbated by food insecurity and droughts, among other significant issues that the county faces.

Government Action and Legislation

The Somali Ministry of Women and Family Affairs created legislation to protect children from marriage. One of these initiatives included the Child Rights Bill. The bill prohibits the marriage of young children and the abuse of children in any form.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Women and Human Rights Development has developed other laws currently in the drafting stage that aim to protect children and implement elements of the Convention on the Rights of the Child into Somalia’s national laws. Adopted in 1989, the Convention on the Rights of the Child is an expansive treaty on the social, political and cultural rights of children worldwide.

The Humanitarian Relief and Development Council

The Humanitarian Relief and Development Council is a nonprofit, woman-led organization in Somalia supporting women, children and other minority groups facing conflict, poverty, violence and injustice. The organization works directly on the ground to provide community-based mobilization campaigns to spread knowledge and awareness on the harmful effects of sexual gender-based violence and child marriage.

In addition, families also receive health insurance. The nonprofit prioritizes women and children, a vulnerable population, by mobilizing community members to raise their concerns to government officials.

Looking Ahead

According to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Somalia has committed to eradicating child marriage by 2030. According to Girls Not Brides, global progress varies by country. However, the practice continues to decline globally. The organization reports that around 68 million cases have been prevented in the last few years. Progress has been linked to socioeconomic status, meaning economic growth plays a key role in reducing rates of child marriage.

In conjunction with humanitarian aid organizations, government initiatives are one of the few solutions to stop this slowly but surely decreasing problem. Child marriage prevention in Somalia starts with ensuring the rights of children and supporting families in economic hardship.

– Dominic Samaniego

Dominic is based in Fullerton, CA, USA and focuses on Good News and Technology for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Child Marriage in South Africa

Child Marriage in South Africa Each day, approximately 41,000 girls worldwide, become brides before reaching the age of 18, entering into child marriage. Every such marriage results in a girl losing her freedom, childhood and any chance for autonomy. These girls are more than 50% more likely to face sexual or physical harm. Girls Not Brides, a female-led NGO, directs its efforts toward ending gender-based violence and child marriage in South Africa and globally.

Women Leading Change

Men often dominate public discourse, making it notable when women lead the charge for change. Such was the case in South Africa in November 2023, when female philanthropists, activists and leaders convened to strategize support for adolescent girls, with a focus on eradicating child marriage.

Prominent among the attendees were Mrs. Michelle Obama and Ms. Melinda Gates. Mrs. Obama, the former First Lady of the United States (U.S.), underscored the critical role of education for young girls in breaking the cycle of child marriage and called for sustained investment in grassroots organizations and leadership. Ms. Gates advocated for a comprehensive approach that includes policy and legal reforms. She emphasized the importance of community awareness supported by government action to empower girls with choices over their futures. Both women, celebrated authors and influential figures, alongside other local dignitaries, issued a call to action against child marriage.

Benefits of Ending Child Marriage

Ending child marriage in South Africa and globally, brings a multitude of benefits that span social, economic and health dimensions. By addressing this issue, South Africa could unlock the potential for individual growth, societal advancement and economic development. Notable sources, including the United Nations (U.N.), World Bank and various NGOs, have highlighted these benefits in their research and advocacy efforts.

According to UNICEF, by delaying marriage, girls are less likely to face early pregnancy, which is associated with higher risks of maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity and more likely to stay in school and complete their education. Education equips girls with the knowledge and skills necessary to support themselves, fully participate in their communities and make informed decisions about their lives and health, setting a foundation for improved health outcomes both for themselves and their future children.

Furthermore, the World Bank indicates that eliminating child marriage could significantly boost economic growth and productivity by enhancing a country’s earnings and growth potential. In fact, educated and empowered women are more likely to enter the workforce and contribute positively to the national economy.

Economic Implications

Eradicating child marriage has positive ripple effects on the economy, including a reduction in birth rates that alters a population’s age structure, thereby enhancing what is known as the ‘demographic dividend.’ This term refers to the economic growth potential when a larger portion of the population is of working age. It boosts health, productivity and the overall economy. The effect on productivity is particularly significant.

Child marriage sidelines girls, excluding them from the workforce and depriving economies of half their potential labor force, presenting a substantial obstacle to development. The World Bank estimates that countries lose on average about 1% of their economic base due to child marriage.

The Role of Girls Not Brides

Girls Not Brides is a global network dedicated to ending child marriage, focusing on girls as central to the solution. The organization collaborates with communities, local governments and faith leaders, emphasizing that only a collective effort can eliminate the outdated stigma of girls being inferior and end the practice of child marriage as a means of connecting families and kin.

This strategy aims to end the treatment of girls as currency and sees empowering them as a way out of poverty. By mobilizing young girls and improving their access to education and sexual health care, Girls Not Brides helps lift nations out of poverty.

Empowering the Future

The global fight against child marriage, led by influential women and organizations like Girls Not Brides, is carving a path toward empowerment and equality for girls in South Africa and beyond. By fostering education and legal reforms, these efforts are unlocking the vast potential for personal and economic growth, setting a precedent for future generations.

The collective drive and dedication to ending child marriage reflect a powerful commitment to reshaping society for the better, ensuring every girl has the opportunity to control her destiny and contribute fully to her community.

– Isaac Rowlands
Photo: Unsplash

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Child Marriage in the Dominican Republic

Child Marriage in the Dominican RepublicFor one day in 2020, 10-year-old Melany of the Dominican Republic stepped into President Luis Abinader’s office as part of Plan International’s youth empowerment campaign, allowing young girls to voice their concerns and desires in influential spaces. Melany chose to advocate for a more robust response to child marriage in the Dominican Republic, an issue that the country is facing at a high level. Child marriage in the Dominican Republic is even legal with parental and judicial permission.

During her time in office, Melany spent hours with the President, advocating and discussing the prioritization of protecting children and in 2021, a year after Melany’s symbolic “presidency,” the Dominican Republic passed Law 1-21, making it illegal for a person under 18 to marry under any circumstance.

History and Effects of Child Marriage

According to the International Justice Mission (IJM), among all Latin American and Caribbean countries, the Dominican Republic has the highest rates of child marriage, defined as “any formal marriage or informal union between a child under the age of 18 and an adult or another child.” According to UNICEF, approximately 36% of women between ages 20 and 24 were first married before turning 18 in the Dominican Republic, compared to 15% in Haiti, 8% in Jamaica and 26% in Cuba.

The consequences of these unions reach from the individual level to the national level and even worldwide, with profound effects on a country’s economy and living standards. In 2017, the World Bank found that individuals married under the age of 18 are more likely to drop out of school, resulting in a shortened education that disqualifies them from job opportunities and reduces their earnings in the labor market.

It also found that being married during childhood is a likely predictor of pregnancy before the age of 18. The addition of supporting a child adds financial demand on top of the already limiting conditions of shortened education and job disqualification, creating a poverty-vulnerable environment.

Advocacy Efforts and Improvements

To combat the financial consequences and causes of child marriage in the Dominican Republic, Crecer Contenta, a program set up in 2012 by Plan International that Melany is also part of, collaborates with 120 communities around the country to set up an extracurricular class.

The class provides financial education to young girls, covering topics such as money management, entrepreneurial pursuits and life skills to help them overcome social issues within their communities. It also educates parents to promote community solidarity against child marriage and emphasizes the widespread benefits of keeping children in school and out of marriage.

According to Plan International, about 540 young girls have felt the impacts of Crecer Contenta. The program recently completed its nine-month program in five Dominican communities, working with 88 girls to develop their financial skills and instill the importance of completing education.

While child marriage is illegal in the Dominican Republic it continues informally. More than three years after her time in office, Melany continues her fight against these informal unions with the support of Crecer Contenta and Plan International by her side.

– Emily Shapiro
Photo: Unsplash

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Addressing Child Marriage in Nigeria

Child Marriage in NigeriaAn ethnic region comprised of more than 500 indigenous languages, Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa. Being the most inhabited African territory as of 2018, child marriage in Nigeria is prevalent with it holding the highest number of child marriages. According to UNICEF Nigeria, an estimated 22 million child brides live in Nigeria since 2018, which accounts for 41% of all child brides in West and Central Africa. This means that four out of every 10 girls, nearly 60 million, were forced into marriage before the age of 18.

Political Efforts

Child marriage remains prevalent in Nigeria due to the federal and state governments not implementing proper laws to prevent it. Passed in 2003, the federal Child Rights Act (CRA, 2003) prohibits marriage under the age of 18. Child marriage blatantly violates Nigeria’s constitution as well as the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Human Rights Watch says the states using Islamic legal systems have failed to execute the Child Rights Act and continue endangering young girls. In Sharia-legislated states, child marriage is justified through their traditional grounds, meaning they believe that adulthood begins with puberty. “It is disturbing that almost two decades after the Child Rights Act was passed, Nigerian girls are still being forced into child marriages,” said Mausi Segun, Africa director at Human Rights Watch on the HRW website.

External Influences

Married girls within the Imo and Kano states face heavy influences from traditional practices and family relations. In August and September 2021, Human Rights Watch discovered that child brides in this northern Nigerian region are “denied their fundamental rights to education, a safe dwelling, freedom from violence and often do not have access to adequate health care.”

Due to the lack of protection for adolescent females, their families force them into marriages, leaving these young girls with little bodily autonomy or individual rights. Global Citizen states that overall, Nigeria’s child marriage crisis stems from gender inequality, religious practices, patriarchal authority, family poverty, stigma around teenage pregnancy and a lack of enforcement of legal protections.

Positive Changes

The Spotlight Initiative, an active partnership between Europe and the United Nations (UN), supports ending all forms of harmful gender-based practices globally. Between 2019 and 2020, the European Union (EU) invested $35 million which was distributed to developing countries through five main categories: policy, institution, prevention, data and women’s movement and civil society. Additionally, in 2020, the Katsina State House Assembly passed the Child Protection Bill which ensures commitment and improvements towards ending child marriage. In November 2022, the Katsina State House Assembly eventually voted to adopt the Child Protection Bill, guaranteeing girls the necessary protection against sexual violence.

Organizations Fighting to End Child Marriage in Nigeria

Created in 2000, the Bella Foundation for Maternal and Child Care is a community-focused grassroots organization in Imude, Ojo, in Logos State. Bella Foundation decided to focus its work on ending child marriage in the Ojo Local Government because “it is one of the places in Lagos State with the highest number of cases,” founder Bella Akhagba reports. Akhagba believes that the solutions start with educating and empowering women, which is why the Bella Foundation trained 10 women specifically to speak as advocates to young girls in Nigerian schools. The team has received training in various skills so that “they are empowered to generate income for themselves and their families since poverty is one of the greatest causes of child marriage in South West.”

Bella Foundation advocates for policy changes and promotes the improvement of female health by spreading awareness within schools and communities. “Through mentorship meetings with the girls of Ojo, we have been able to change their mindsets and attitudes,” Akhagba added.

It’s Never Your Fault is another organization making efforts to end child marriage in Nigeria. Started by a group of friends in 2018, this nonprofit is attempting to ban child marriage in all 36 states across Nigeria by advocating for a change in legislation, since it is a loophole in their constitution’s legal jargon that allows it. Susan Ubogu, Kurdirat Abiola and Temitayo Asuni felt compelled to take action against child marriage in Nigeria and created their campaign #BanChildMarriageNigeria with hopes of changing the law via a Change.org petition. Since creating the petition on December 18, 2018, it has obtained 473,640 of its 500,000 needed signatures.

The organization petitions as a way to campaign for change, raise awareness, and “give a voice to girls who couldn’t speak for themselves.” From its platform, it began a #RaiseTheAge petition to try and urge the government to amend the constitution. Ubogu, Kurdirat and Asuni have begun focusing on workshops surrounding gender equality and partnering with Nigerian celebrities to raise awareness. In the future, it plans to work directly with victims of social injustice and find ways to rehabilitate or reintegrate these women back into society ethically.

Looking Ahead

The current trends suggest that there is a need for Nigeria to address contributing factors to child marriage to achieve positive change. Efforts could involve advocating for and implementing laws and policies that safeguard girls’ rights. Prioritizing the protection of children’s rights, fostering gender equality and empowering communities to challenge entrenched cultural norms are essential steps. By cultivating a society that values the well-being of its youth, Nigeria can potentially pave the path to a brighter future.

– Samantha J. Rentfro
Photo: Flickr