Child marriage has devastating consequences on the child, on the family and in a long run, on the society. It is a dangerous practice which people undertake in the name of religion and culture. Poverty and illiteracy are one of the prime reasons that lead to such action. Poverty and a misplaced belief that the girl child is an economic burden, compels a parent to pull out a daughter from the school and marry her away. The girl child becomes a child bride in no time.
In this manner, girls are denied the chance to gain the skills and knowledge that would help lift their family and themselves out of poverty. Early marriage leaves these young brides particularly vulnerable to domestic violence. As soon as they reach puberty, it’s time for motherhood for them – the risk of death during child birth is very high for these mothers.
Right from a very young age, girls are not provided the fundamental space to voice their opinion or address their wishes or needs. This leads them to become silent victims of various domestic, social, economical, physical and mental traumas. Girls may also not be supported by the other women in the family. Any abuse a girl faces may be passed off as “normal” and she may be told it is a wife’s duty to bear it.
Complications in pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death in girls aged 15-19 in low- and middle-income countries. 90% of adolescent pregnancies in the developing world are to girls who are already married.
Child brides are also vulnerable to obstetric fistula, a preventable yet debilitating injury resulting from obstructed labor or prolonged childbirth. Child brides often face pressure from their husband’s family, their own family and the wider community to have children soon after marriage. They become mothers at an early age, which makes them more likely to experience early and frequent pregnancies.
A child cannot consent to being married early. However, just because she is married so soon, she is exposed to abuses, threats, controlled set of work and non-consensual sexual relations, and ultimately led to live a life of ill-health, more prone to disease and more likely to die at a young age.
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About the Author: Freelancing in the path of life, humor and contributing actively to the surrounding society, Sohini Basu is a blogger, book reviewer, photographer,veracious reader and a travel freak. She does her best to snatch time out of her monotonous MNC Clad routine to scribble in http://sohni-basu.blogspot.in/ and http://mindprintsohni.wordpress.com/.
Image Source: vincent desjardins