About 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.

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