Ending child marriage

Child marriage is a violation of human rights, and the definition of child marriage is where a child under the age of 18 marries an adult or another child. It is often called forced marriage because children can’t give valid consent to marry. Usually, forced marriage involves a young girl and an older man, however it does affect boys too.

The U.N. Human Rights Council added child marriage to its agenda for action in 2013, declaring it a barrier to development. One of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals is for all countries to end child marriage by 2030. World Vision is working with communities worldwide to help end child marriage as swiftly as possible.

When girls are forced to marry as children, it can cause serious physical and emotional health issues - it damages the child's education and development, while also causing the cycle of poverty to continue. Child brides face being isolated from their friends and family at a critical stage of their lives. Girls who haven't even reached their 18th birthday are forced into the role of a grown woman - giving birth, keeping a home, raising a child when they themselves are still children. A child bride's future is forced upon her, and she has to sacrifice any dreams of an education, career, or choosing her partner.

Other impacts include:
Loss of education and opportunities - Most married girls do not attend school as they are expected to focus on domestic responsibilities or raise children. This leaves them with no education, limited work opportunities, and no chance to become financially independent - meaning they remain in the cycle of poverty.

Physical and mental health - Because many of the girls who get married are so young, their bodies aren't yet ready for pregnancy and labour. This often leads to health complications for both the mother and baby, and with little access to healthcare in many remote, poverty-stricken communities, it can even be fatal.

Poverty - In many cases, societal and cultural norms mean that girls are already less able to break out of poverty, and when they're forced to become wives and mothers, their chances become almost non-existent, given that they are usually cut off from education and their chance to break out of the cycle of poverty.

There are many causes that can lead to child marriage, and a common misconception about child marriage is that it's always uncaring, abusive parents or predatory older men forcing the situation. However, in many communities, it is simply a lack of understanding and education among families in poverty, as well as different views about the ages of adulthood and the value of women outside of being wives and mothers. In other cases, people may feel as though marriage is their only option.

Some of the factors include:
Gender inequality - As detailed above, unfortunately in many countries women and girls still aren't seen as equal to men and boys. This is influenced by many factors - outdated laws, cultural norms, tradition, and lack of education are just some.

Lack of awareness - Communities often have strong misconceptions about the value of education for girls and boys, and the risks and consequences of early marriage. When the adults and young people within a community are taught about the dangers of early marriage, and the importance of continuing their education, they're much more likely to prevent and oppose underage marriage.

Poverty - Although it happens all over the world, child marriage is most closely linked with low levels of economic development. In fact, child brides overwhelmingly come from the world's most impoverished nations. For parents living in extreme poverty or with several mouths to feed, marriage can be seen as a way - or sometimes the only way - to alleviate some of their financial pressures.

Some communities require a dowry to be paid for, by the bride's family to the groom, and younger bride may mean a lower cost for the girl's family. In cultures where a bride price is paid by the groom to the parents of the bride, a younger bride can be seen as more valuable, making more money for the family.

Natural disasters or conflict - When disaster strikes in vulnerable countries, children are often tragically left without parents to support and protect them - and no family to care for them. For many young girls, getting married seems like the only way to survive - providing food and shelter, or when a girl has been forced to flee her home, a husband could be seen as able to provide protection from assault.

Inadequate or ineffective laws - Laws surrounding the age that someone can legally give consent to get married varies from country to country. Even in countries where the legal age of consent to marry is 18, if the practice of child marriage is deeply rooted in the culture, laws are rarely enforced and many exceptions are made. For example, children may be allowed to marry as long as there is parental consent. In Bangladesh for example, it is illegal to marry before turning 18, however they still have the second-highest level of child marriage of any country in the world - with four million child brides.