Alma khan
In many societies, marriage is celebrated but millions of girls suffer from different marriage experience every year, many brides are still children not even teenagers, some girls are so young and innocent that they hold their toys on their wedding ceremonies. These girls become a mother in their teens while they are children themselves.
Child Marriage is considered a human rights violation. The practice is still very common all around the world even though there are laws against it. Child marriage is being prohibited by international law but it is still practiced around the world. Estimated globally about one in every five girls is married before reaching eighteen, when seen in underdeveloped countries 40% of girls are married at the age of fifteen.
Child marriage threatens a girl’s life including her health due to pregnancy and childbirth these two factors can lead them to death. Girls that are married early are likely to be less educated. Some parents believe that marriage would secure their daughters and secure their daughters future, and some fear that they will be unable to protect their daughters so they marry them off.
Child marriage is also a reason due to high level of poverty, cultural norms. Families are using as alternative survival strategy against food insecurity. Child Marriage is widely considered as a violation of human rights and violation against girls. As seen in many child marriage images the child bride sad expression says it all. The elimination of child marriage by the year 2030 is the target under the development goals. This movement has been started and wants to change the world. Child marriage forces the girls out of education and girls cannot pursue their further education and increases the risk of violence, abuse, ill health or early death. Girls that are being married off at a young age are being denied to their freedom of life and to make her own decisions. The reason that child marriage takes place is that the younger wives are considered to be more obedient, the second reason is that the laws of protecting girls are not enforced and people expect higher amount of dowry if the girl gets older and there is inequality between girls and boys.
To stop child marriage the awareness has to be increased among children. Girls should be supported to get a good education and allowing them to complete their studies will enable the girls to support themselves and lead fulfilled independent lives. Media can help them by hearing their voices and by creating safe channels for them to speak up for what they want and speak out against harmful practices. There should be enforced law to set the legal marriage age to eighteen to protect children. Norms need to be challenged and people need to be reminded of the idea that girls are not inferior to boys and they need to be empowered. If we don’t act now more than 150 million girls will become child brides by 2030.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article are those of the author and Balochistan Voices not necessarily agrees with them.
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