When I read the words ‘child’ and ‘marriage’ together in any context, I am automatically stunned – mainly due to the fact that our society is deemed to be ‘modern’. Yet as I found myself watching BBC’s “Married at 15: America’s child brides” The truth became apparent: This happens to too many children, too many times.

What is child marriage & why does it happen?

Child marriage is the formal or informal marriage between 2 individuals in which one or both of them are below 18.

Child marriage is a direct violation of human rights and takes away opportunities from a child to prosper and succeed in life. Instead, it prematurely exposes them to the complications of adulthood, marriage, and in case of girls: pregnancy. Child marriage also obstructs the accomplishment of Global Goals such as Human Rights and Justice, Poverty or Violence against girls.

Child marriage can occur due to a variety of reasons. They can be, but are not limited to:

1 – Gender Inequality

In various communities where child marriages take place, girls are often seen as the inferior gender, and hence are given up by their parents as a way to ease their economic burden. This can lower a young girl’s self esteem and hinder their path towards personal development – whilst also making them more vulnerable to domestic violence, sexual assault and contracting HIV/AIDS.

2 – Poverty​

Often parents who give up their children for child marriage are from a working-class background. The act of giving away their child to someone of a better class or in a marriage in general is approved by tradition. What they might not be able to comprehend is that by letting the child stay in school and not marrying them away – they are more likely to be able to finish their education and live a healthier life – one that prevents them from being exposed to exploitation or abuse. ​In places such as the Dominican Republic, families may arrange their daughters’ marriages to older men in exchange for money.

3 – Tradition

​South Asia has the highest rates of child marriage in the world. Almost half (45%) of all women aged 20-24 years reported being married before the age of 18​, Despite the act being prohibited in ​India, Custom bypasses the law as the authorities turn a blind eye to the village elders who enforce these child marriages. Child Marriages are often seen as a mechanism to cope up with dead or sorrow. This is evident through the fact that when a family member dies in Rajasthan, a marriage must take place within 13 days to divert the sorrow of death into joys of a marriage – even if those present are underage.

We must also remind ourselves that child marriage is not an issue that is restricted to the developing world – It is evident across the globe. European countries such Sweden struggle over child marriage as critics emphasise how, although marriage involving individuals under 18 is banned in Sweden, the government still recognises the marriage if it is carried-out abroad.

Additionally, The laws on consent and legal marriages in the Unites States also do not coincide; which results in lack of clarity and less restrictions which many child-marriage supporters benefit from. Judges may also approve of an underage marriage if the young girl is pregnant. This could result in them giving consent towards a coercive marriage.

The light at the end of the tunnel: What are we doing to stop such marriages?

Child marriages have been around in various cultures for a very long time. Through awareness and action​, ​Child marriage is declining (63% in 1985 to 45%t in 2010) in South Asia, ​with the decline being especially marked for girls under 15 (32% in 1985 to 17% in 2010)​ .

We can encourage prevention by spreading awareness so those that are forced under the task of child marriage do not feel ashamed of speaking up about it. We must aim to eradicate the ‘taboo’ around child marriages, hence allowing more victims to ask for help when needed.

Some programmes that have been settled are:

In India, there have been an increase in number of activists who are calling for an end to child marriage – Institute Health Management Pachod (IHMP) is a project which aims to protect married & unmarried girls from the results of child marriages, as well as educate them about domestic violence.​

In Nepal, Aura Freedom International and Apeiron carry out engaging sessions in which they educate women about the complications that can arise from child marriage, as well as teach them how to detect and report any signs of physical or emotional violence.

So you see, not all hope is lost. Yes, there is a lot of progress to be made. The path to terminating poverty, inequality and child marriage can be long and unwinding, but it is worth it.