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- Nov 17, 2015
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For most of us, marriage is usually idealized as ushering in love, happiness and security, but for Africa girls, getting married is not the best thing to them. Over half of the girls in developing world marry before age 18.The number of child marriage is concerned. A research shows that “each year, 15 million girls are married before the age of 18 that is 28 girls every minute 1 every 2 seconds” (Brides). Basic on the research, most of the child marriage occurs in Africa and south Asia. Over 80% of child marriage happens in the Africa. 15 million of girls marry before 18. This is an unbelievable number of most of the people even though it is truly happening in the world. As we know, children who marry at the young age are not good for their physical and mental health, but why there are huge numbers of child marriage in Africa. In GrilsNotBrides, it gives the answer for why does child marriage happen in Africa. Some reason is that
“At its heart, child marriage is rooted in gender inequality and the belief that girls and women are somehow inferior to boys and men. Child marriage is a complex issue. Poverty, lack of education, cultural practices, and insecurity fuel and sustain the practice. But drivers will vary from one community to the next and the practice may look different across regions and countries, even within the same country” (Brides,Why Does).
Children who are under 18 and pregnant are harmful to their physical and mental. One important mission for there is to continue their husband’s lineage. However, young girls’ bodies do not fully mature to support a pregnancy and child-birthing process. Even though the international women’s health coalition said “Girl under 15 are five times more likely to die in childbirth than women in their 20s and face higher risk of pregnancy-related injuries, such as obstetric fistula” (international); girls face stress to prove their fertility, often married to old husbands with polygamy; it can be extremely hard for them to maintain their wishes, particularly when it comes to negotiating safe sexual practices and the use of family planning methods, they are more likely to experience frequent and early pregnancies, which may cause a range of long-term health complications and, in some cases, death. For example, HIV is one of the epidemics. Harmful from mental, Child brides often suffer emotion from their families. They don’t have much ability to make decisions of their lives and bodies. If they against their families or husbands, they will receive family violence. Forced sexual is another problem which has long listed on the mental health. An article said that “A study in northern Ethiopia revealed that 18% of child brides interviewed described their sexual initiation as forced. Studies have also found that child brides typically continue to experience non-consensual sex throughout their marriage” (Brides, Why is). Child brides suffer a lot of physical and mental harmful from their husbands and families.
As we reading this, most of us may think that what causes child brides. Poverty is one of reason. In poor families, if they don’t have the ability to raise all of their children, they will marry off their daughter due to poverty. When a girl is married, parents can get some bride price form bridegroom and reduce family expenses because she is belong to bridegroom’s family. In another word, a child bride is a way for a family to repay debt because of bride price. Lack of education could be another reason. Because of the gender inequality and poverty, most of the girls do not have an opportunity to attend to school. Illiteracy causes girls who do not have choices and opportunities throughout their lives. What they can do is listening to their parents or following religion or culture. After they have their have babies who are girls, those girls may have a destiny as their mothers if they do not have an opportunity to go to school. Anyier D said that “Her uncles force her to leave school at age 14 in 2008 to marry an old man she did not know. She said: “I would wish to return to school even if I have children. People think that I am happy but I am not because I do not have an education I do not have something of my own and I am only cleaning offices. If I had gone to secondary school, I would get a good job”” (How). How important the education is. If Anvier D has a secondary school, she could change her destiny and her children’s lives would be totally different. Religious beliefs are another reason to drive child marriage. In some religious, girls often marry to old men at a younger age. According to an article “Our church doctrine is that girls must marry when they are between 12 and 16 years old to make sure they do not sin by having sexual relations outside marriage. As soon as a girl reaches puberty any man in the church can claim her for a wife” (How).
While child marriage is one way for families to raise a family, to retain the religion, it is horrors and should not be continued to next generation because there is not benefit for the child brides. However, there are many disadvantages to child brides. Accord to Girl Not Bride this disadvantage is “Child brides face huge challenges as a result of being married as children. Isolated, often with their freedom curtailed, girls frequently feel disempowered and are deprived of their fundamental rights to health, education and safety” (Bride, why does). Also, child bride does not have secondary education, so they can get a good job and raise themselves, as a result, there are not any equality between women and men.
We should do something for them. One person’s strength is enough, but if we work together, it is significant. As we know ending the child is the right thing to do. Otherwise, child marriage will continue the cycles of poverty, poor health, illiteracy, and violence. Most of the girls in Africa are hard to get out of this cycle if people do not give them a hand. Even though there are a lot of issues cause the child marriage occurs in Africa, world organizations invest huge amounts of money to force ending the child marriage. According to the facts on child marriage “As the U.S government continue to invest in development programs around the world, a focus on child marriage could ensure that goals on issues as diverse as education, health, violence, and economic advancement are met for both this and future generation of girls, their families, communities, and countries” (The Face). Although child marriage relates to many issues, such as poverty, illiteracy, and religion, governments try their best to help them. It is our responsibility to help these young generations of girls to achieve their goals and dreams.
“At its heart, child marriage is rooted in gender inequality and the belief that girls and women are somehow inferior to boys and men. Child marriage is a complex issue. Poverty, lack of education, cultural practices, and insecurity fuel and sustain the practice. But drivers will vary from one community to the next and the practice may look different across regions and countries, even within the same country” (Brides,Why Does).
Children who are under 18 and pregnant are harmful to their physical and mental. One important mission for there is to continue their husband’s lineage. However, young girls’ bodies do not fully mature to support a pregnancy and child-birthing process. Even though the international women’s health coalition said “Girl under 15 are five times more likely to die in childbirth than women in their 20s and face higher risk of pregnancy-related injuries, such as obstetric fistula” (international); girls face stress to prove their fertility, often married to old husbands with polygamy; it can be extremely hard for them to maintain their wishes, particularly when it comes to negotiating safe sexual practices and the use of family planning methods, they are more likely to experience frequent and early pregnancies, which may cause a range of long-term health complications and, in some cases, death. For example, HIV is one of the epidemics. Harmful from mental, Child brides often suffer emotion from their families. They don’t have much ability to make decisions of their lives and bodies. If they against their families or husbands, they will receive family violence. Forced sexual is another problem which has long listed on the mental health. An article said that “A study in northern Ethiopia revealed that 18% of child brides interviewed described their sexual initiation as forced. Studies have also found that child brides typically continue to experience non-consensual sex throughout their marriage” (Brides, Why is). Child brides suffer a lot of physical and mental harmful from their husbands and families.
As we reading this, most of us may think that what causes child brides. Poverty is one of reason. In poor families, if they don’t have the ability to raise all of their children, they will marry off their daughter due to poverty. When a girl is married, parents can get some bride price form bridegroom and reduce family expenses because she is belong to bridegroom’s family. In another word, a child bride is a way for a family to repay debt because of bride price. Lack of education could be another reason. Because of the gender inequality and poverty, most of the girls do not have an opportunity to attend to school. Illiteracy causes girls who do not have choices and opportunities throughout their lives. What they can do is listening to their parents or following religion or culture. After they have their have babies who are girls, those girls may have a destiny as their mothers if they do not have an opportunity to go to school. Anyier D said that “Her uncles force her to leave school at age 14 in 2008 to marry an old man she did not know. She said: “I would wish to return to school even if I have children. People think that I am happy but I am not because I do not have an education I do not have something of my own and I am only cleaning offices. If I had gone to secondary school, I would get a good job”” (How). How important the education is. If Anvier D has a secondary school, she could change her destiny and her children’s lives would be totally different. Religious beliefs are another reason to drive child marriage. In some religious, girls often marry to old men at a younger age. According to an article “Our church doctrine is that girls must marry when they are between 12 and 16 years old to make sure they do not sin by having sexual relations outside marriage. As soon as a girl reaches puberty any man in the church can claim her for a wife” (How).
While child marriage is one way for families to raise a family, to retain the religion, it is horrors and should not be continued to next generation because there is not benefit for the child brides. However, there are many disadvantages to child brides. Accord to Girl Not Bride this disadvantage is “Child brides face huge challenges as a result of being married as children. Isolated, often with their freedom curtailed, girls frequently feel disempowered and are deprived of their fundamental rights to health, education and safety” (Bride, why does). Also, child bride does not have secondary education, so they can get a good job and raise themselves, as a result, there are not any equality between women and men.
We should do something for them. One person’s strength is enough, but if we work together, it is significant. As we know ending the child is the right thing to do. Otherwise, child marriage will continue the cycles of poverty, poor health, illiteracy, and violence. Most of the girls in Africa are hard to get out of this cycle if people do not give them a hand. Even though there are a lot of issues cause the child marriage occurs in Africa, world organizations invest huge amounts of money to force ending the child marriage. According to the facts on child marriage “As the U.S government continue to invest in development programs around the world, a focus on child marriage could ensure that goals on issues as diverse as education, health, violence, and economic advancement are met for both this and future generation of girls, their families, communities, and countries” (The Face). Although child marriage relates to many issues, such as poverty, illiteracy, and religion, governments try their best to help them. It is our responsibility to help these young generations of girls to achieve their goals and dreams.
