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BEFORE SHE'S READY - 15 PLACES GIRLS
MARRY BY 15
World Vision
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THE HIDDEN COSTS OF BEING A CHILD BRIDE
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Pregnancy and childbirth can be hazardous for pre-teen and
teenage mothers |
JOHANNESBURG, 8 September 2008
(PlusNews) - Around the world an estimated 3,500 girls under the age of 15
become child brides every day, while another 21,000 get married before reaching
the age of 18.
The
consequences of such early marriages, according to a new report by the Christian humanitarian organisation, World
Vision, include an increased risk of HIV and maternal death, an abrupt end to a
girl's education and a greater chance of violence and abuse.
The
practise of coercing girls into early marriage occurs all over the world, but
the report, "Before She's Ready", lists 15 countries where it is most
prevalent.
In
Bangladesh, which ranks number one, more than half of all girls (52.5 percent)
are married before they turn 16; in Niger the proportion is 37.6 percent, and
34.9 percent in Chad. Other countries included in the top 15 are Ethiopia,
India, Nigeria and Mozambique.
The
report combines the observations of World Vision staff working in many of these
countries with previous research on the issue, and identifies poverty as one of
the main factors driving early marriage.
In
communities hit by natural disasters or conflict, where families traditionally
receive a "bride price" when daughters marry, early marriage can be a
desperate bid to raise money to feed the rest of the family. Recent sharp
increases in food prices have seen the practice become more common in places
such as rural Afghanistan.
Growing
numbers of girls orphaned as a result of HIV/AIDS are also being pushed into
early marriages by extended family members no longer willing or able to care
for them.
Orphanhood
is also a significant risk factor for sexual abuse resulting from forced early
marriage. The report tells the story of Jane from Ghana, who was orphaned at
the age of five and taken in by her aunt. At the age of 13, she was
"given" to her aunt's husband as a second wife. She bore him two
children before running away.
Resisting sexual intercourse isn't an option in most early
marriages, where consummation is considered the male's right
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Culture
and religion also play a role. In some cases, parents believe marrying off
their daughters at a young age will protect them from the dishonour of becoming
pregnant or sexually active outside of wedlock.
Catherine
Demba, World Vision's national child protection coordinator, observed that in
some parts of Chad it is considered a curse for a girl to begin menstruating
while still living under her parents' roof.
"Resisting
sexual intercourse isn't an option in most early marriages, where consummation
is considered the male's right," notes the report. Forced sex can cause
tissue damage, making girls more susceptible to contracting sexually
transmitted infections from husbands who may have other partners or wives.
Research
cited in the report from both Kenya and Zambia found higher rates of HIV
infection among married adolescent girls than among their unmarried, sexually
active counterparts.
Pregnancy
and childbirth also carry much greater risks for pre-teen and teenage mothers.
Pregnancy-related deaths are the leading cause of mortality among girls aged 15
to 19 worldwide, and complications such as fistula - a tearing of the tissue
that separates the bladder or bowel from the vagina - are more common when
girls give birth when they are too young.
Studies
show that women married as children are also significantly more likely to
experience domestic violence and abuse. A survey in India found that girls who
married before the age of 18 were twice as likely to report being beaten by
their husbands than girls who married later, and three times more likely to
have been forced to have sex in the previous six months.
Besides
the health risks, early marriage usually means that girls are denied the
opportunity to continue their education, which in turn limits their future
ability to support themselves and their children. Lower education levels have
also been associated with higher risks of HIV infection.
The
report points out that laws prohibiting child marriage exist in most countries
but have done little to stop the practise, especially where it is linked to the
genuine economic needs of struggling families.
Addressing
these needs may be the best way to delay marriage and childbearing. World
Vision recommends job training, microfinance schemes and agricultural input
programmes to remove the necessity of offering a daughter for marriage.
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