What are the things to know about early marriage and child brides? Terres des Hommes has found five that give cause for hope in a better future filled with fun and carefree living.
There are still far too many child brides in the world. We are talking about 15 million girls who marry – or rather are forced to marry – before the age of 18. The precise figure is not known, however, because many unions go unregistered, given that, fortunately, an increasing number of countries have adopted laws to place limits on early marriage, which involves minors. Once married, girls must leave school and very soon become very young mothers who have put their own health and that of the child they carry at risk. A child mother of 15, for example, faces a risk of dying during pregnancy and childbirth five times greater than that of a young woman of 20.
Thanks to the efforts of various coalitions of non-governmental organisations and grassroots associations, such as Girls not brides, of which the non-governmental organisation Terres des Hommes, which works to protect children, is also a member, the phenomenon of early marriage is increasingly in the spotlight of public opinion and institutions as a violation of human rights. A phenomenon that must be eradicated everywhere. In order to understand and combat it more effectively, various studies are beginning to become available that go beyond stereotypes. Here is what Terres des Hommes has learned from this research.
Which countries are most affected by this phenomenon? Unicef 2016 data reveal that early marriages frequently occur in less well-known countries. Some of the states where this phenomenon is recorded are "unsuspected": Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Iran.
The number of child brides increases in situations of humanitarian crisis, yet the response remains inadequate. Research conducted by the Women's Refugee Commission in Ethiopia, Lebanon and Uganda highlights how early marriage is seen as a way to protect girls while at the same time alleviating the family's economic hardship.
The good news is that marriages involving girls under 15 are declining in many countries. On the other hand, marriages involving girls aged 16–17 are on the rise. A recent report by Human Rights Watch on Nepal denounces the increase in the practice of "love marriages": marriages celebrated between adolescents who choose this form of union in order to escape a forced marriage.
In 2015, at least 7,500 girls contracted the HIV virus. Furthermore, a new study on early marriage and HIV has identified several factors that increase the risk of infection for girls. These include the fact that older partners have had more partners in the past, those partners' low inclination to use contraception, and girls' inability to negotiate their own needs. Last but not least, the inability to access sexual health services.
The World Bank and the International center for research and women have shown that – in addition to all the serious consequences for girls' health, education and wellbeing – early marriage has a far deeper impact. The economic one includes the costs to the healthcare system, the loss of human potential and the perpetuation of poverty.
In recent years, new methods for combating early marriage have been developed.
In India, the Apni Beti Apna Dha project, which involved the transfer of financial resources to girls, was useful in increasing school attendance up to the age of 14, but had no effect on early marriage. Complementary interventions are needed to improve the quality of education and persuade families to keep their daughters in school for longer.
In Latin America and the Caribbean, raising the minimum age for marriage in several countries, combined with the strengthening of legislation to protect children, has produced good results.
In Bangladesh, the Balika project demonstrated the importance of women's empowerment in delaying marriage and focusing on improving other aspects of their lives.