“I was married at age 14 and lost my first child at 16 during pregnancy,” Ranu Chakma said. Child marriage is common in its town of Teknaf Upazila, on the southern coast of Bangladesh, although it is illegal and a violation of human rights.
These violations occur even at a time when many countries are prohibiting illegal practice, more recently in Colombia, where a law entered into force earlier this month.
Here are five common erroneous concepts about child marriage:
Myth 1: It is always illegal
Child marriage is prohibited under many international agreements, from the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women to the Program of Action of the International Population and Development Conference in 1994. Thus, there, there, there, there, there, there, there are 640 million women and girls in the world who were children's girlfriends, with more children's marriages every day.
How is that possible? Many countries prohibit child marriage in principle, but define the allowed age of marriage as more than 18 or allow exceptions with the consent of parents or under religious or usual law. In many cases, these marriages and marriages in general are not legally registered, which hinders the application of the law.
Addressing child marriage requires more than laws; It requires rethinking how society values girls.
Programs such as Taalim-I-Naubalighan, in Bihar, India, where two out of five children marry before the age of 18, have an impact. These programs encourage young people to think about issues such as gender roles and human rights.
“That's why I could help my sister,” said Altamash, a male student whose sister wanted to avoid child marriage and continue her studies. “When I understood her desire and how I would help her, I addressed my father. Now he will complete his education, and I am very proud of her. ”
In Madagascar, information sessions are key to change minds and raise awareness about child marriage and other harmful practices.
MYTH 2: Sometimes child marriage is necessary
Child marriage is still generalized because it looks like a solution to other problems.
In humanitarian crises, child marriage rates often increase, since parents believe that marriage will ensure the future of a daughter by making a husband responsible for supporting her financially and protecting her from violence. Child marriage looks as a solution that will preserve the honor of a girl and her family later, or in some cases before, it is pregnant. In developing countries, most adolescent births take place within a marriage.
However, child marriage is not a real solution for any of these problems. Child marriage itself leads to girls who experience high levels of sexual, physical and emotional violence of their intimate partners. Pregnancy is dangerous for girls; The complications of pregnancy and childbirth are one of the main causes of death among adolescents. Children's brides and teenage mothers are often forced to leave school, turning their future perspectives.
Nicolette, 16, in Madagascar was so used to seeing his classmates disappear from school after marrying and getting pregnant, never thought about questioning the practice. That is until he attended a session of consciousness backed by UNFPA.
“I didn't know we could be victims of child marriage,” he said. Now, she wants all the girls in her community to know: “Everyone has the right to realize their ambitions, and marriage is a choice.”
More than three quarters of girls in Niger are married while they are still children.
Myth 3: This problem goes
Child marriage may sound like a problem of the past or distant places, but in fact it remains a serious threat to girls around the world.
While world marriage rates are slowly falling, places with the highest rates also have the highest population growth, which means that the absolute number of children's marriages are expected to increase.
The problem is in fact global. The greatest number of children's brides live in the Asia and Pacific region, the highest rate of child marriage is observed in sub -Saharan Africa and the lack of progress in Latin America and the Caribbean means that this region is expected to have the second Highest prevalence of child marriage by 2030.
However, the problem is not limited to developing nations. It also takes place in countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States.
“They basically introduced me to someone in the morning, and I was forced to marry him that night,” said Sara Tasneem, remembering his marriage, first an informal spiritual union at age 15 and then legally at age 16. “I immediately pregnant myself., And we were legally married in Reno, Nevada, where I only required permission signed by my father.”
To change this, the actions must be accelerated to end child marriage, especially by empowering girls.
“I was 13 when my father gave my hand in marriage to a cousin,” said Hadiza, 16, in Niger. Fortunately, I had access to a safe space through a youth program backed by UNFPA. “I talked to a safe space mentor, who, with the help of the neighborhood head, negotiated with my parents to postpone the wedding.”
Today, Hadiza is an apprentice of a tailor, learning the skills to become economically self -sufficient. “In three years I plan to marry the man I love,” he said.
Nuvannah Sinakaaba attends pregnant teenagers at the mobile clinic supported by UNFPA in the Namalyy village, Zambia.
Myth 4: It is a cultural or religious issue
Child marriage is sometimes misrepresented as a religious or culturally mandatory practice. But, there are no important religious traditions that require child marriage.
In fact, cultural and religious leaders around the world often adopt a strong position against child marriage, especially when evidence is provided about the consequences of practice.
“We have always taught young people who, both religiously and legally, was not advisable,” said Shirkhan Chobanov, the IMAM of the Jumah Mosque in Tbilisi, Georgia. “We also explained to those young people who had to perform other tasks, mainly regarding their education, before thinking about starting a family.”
UNFPA works with faith leaders from around the world who are working to end child marriage, including priests, monks, nuns and magnets.
“We are seeing very good results in terms of avoiding child marriage,” said Gebregziabher Tiku, a priest in Ethiopia.
Myth 5: It only happens to the girls
While the vast majority of children's marriages involve girls, boys can also marry.
Worldwide, 115 million children and men married before the age of 18, according to data from 2019. These unions are also linked to early fatherhood, limited education and reduced opportunities in life.
Even so, girls look disproportionately affected by practice, with approximately one in five young women aged 20 to 24 years married before their 18th birthday, compared to one in 30 young men. Children's marriage rates for boys are very low even in countries where child marriage between girls is relatively high.
Young empowerment programs are reaching all adolescents with information about their human rights in Nicaragua, which has one of the highest child marriage rates among children.
No matter the genre of the affected child or the country in which the union is carried out, child marriage is a harmful practice that requires addressing a common set of root causes. They include economic inequality, limited access to sexual and reproductive health services and information, and factors such as conflict. One of the greatest root causes, gender inequality, requires an urgent and renewed approach.
“While we have abolished child marriage, we have not abolished predatory masculinity,” said Dr. Gabrielle Hosein, director of the Institute of Gender and Development Studies of the University of the Western Indies, in Trinidad and Tobago, shortly after That country had forbidden child marriage.
Kevin Liverpool, an activist from the Cariman Defense Group, said that men and children have a fundamental role to play.
“It is important to raise awareness among these groups, among these individuals, about what feminism is, why gender equality is important for women, but also for men and for all societies,” he said.
