Listen to the adolescent girls
I felt at times like ending my life, so that I could end my sufferings,” said 16 years old Moumita (not her real name) while describing her intolerable sufferings in married life. “Our slogan of action should be, stop child marriage, save millions of valuable lives of girls,” Moumita said. If research is done on the detrimental effects of child marriage, it will reveal thousands of shocking case studies of the ill-fated girls. Child marriage endangers girls' lives and limits their potential.
According to Plan International, the rate of child marriage is still extremely high in Bangladesh; 66% of girls are married before the age of 18, which badly affects thousands of girl children.
Since 1948, the United Nations and other international agencies have attempted to stop child marriage. Article 16 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of United Nations states that persons must be of 'full age' when married and that marriage should be entered into 'freely' and with 'full consent.' Child marriage is a gross violation of human rights.
Child marriage has far-reaching health, social, economic, and political implications for the girls and their communities. Early pregnancy and childbirth limit a girl's opportunities and often lead to health complications. Girls who marry early usually drop out of school and are more likely to remain less educated and poor. About half of teenage girls in Bangladesh suffer from malnutrition and anemia due to child marriage. Child marriage puts girls at risk of early and unwanted pregnancies, posing life-threatening consequences. Maternal death related to pregnancy and childbirth is an important component of mortality for girls aged 15-19.
A study shows that the girls who marry before the age of 18 years are more likely to experience mental health problems. Marriage before the age of 18 years increases a girl's chance of developing a psychiatric condition in her lifetime. 53% girls who married before the age of 18 reported having had a mental disorder such as depression. Mental health problem is also a public health issue. In addition, child brides face life-threatening health issues such as serious obstetric complications, including fistula. The risk of fistula is as high as 88%.
Child marriage and polygamy (husbands who have multiple sex partners) play an important role in another deadly disease, cervical cancer. Pregnancy poses many challenges for young girls, ages 10–15 years are especially vulnerable, because their pelvic bones are not ready for childbearing and delivery.
“Child marriage marks an abrupt and often violent introduction to sexual relations. The young girls are powerless to refuse sex and lack the resources or legal and social support to leave an abusive marriage,” said Claudia Garcia Moreno of World Health Organization (WHO). So, child marriage is one type of 'marital rape;' we need to put an end to this crime immediately.
I had the opportunity to attend the Round Table discussion on child marriage, which UNFPA and The Daily Star jointly organised on October 29. I expressed my opinion in the conference that the policymakers and civil rights groups must listen to the voices of children and adolescents to address their problems, including ending child marriage, as a priority issue.
Article 16 of the 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) says that child marriages are illegal.
Considering all the deadly consequences, the Bangladesh government should never reduce the age of marriage from 18 for girls and 21 for boys. Rather, we request the Bangladeshi prime minister to keep her promise, which she made at the International Girl Summit in London this year, to end child marriage.
We will have to include ending child and forced marriage issue broadly in our 7th Five Year Plan for women development nationally; the UN WOMEN has drafted the background paper.
Supporting and enforcing legislation to increase the minimum age of marriage for girls to 18 years for all member countries, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said: “I urge governments, community and religious leaders, civil society, the private sector, and families, especially men and boys, to do their part to let girls be girls, not brides.”
Media experts realise that the media could make the government accountable to the people to end child and forced marriage. Child marriage should be an important issue to cover in the media. Though the journalists are more diligent now, yet more journalists should be oriented on this issue to focus evidence-based news stories of both urban and rural areas from grassroots level, including coastal districts, haor, and char areas of Bangladesh. Community Radio and social media are also helpful for community mobilisation among other print and electronic media.
Therefore, let us remove the causes, and say 'No' to child marriage. Nobel Peace Laureate in 2014 Malala Yousafzai very rightly said: “One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.” We must believe it will make a change, as we want Bangladesh and other countries free from child marriage, and all the girls properly educated and empowered. Create safe and sustainable Bangladesh and the world for all the girls and women through smart and comprehensive approach with every stakeholders' active participation.
The write is a member of National Girl Child Advocacy Forum- Bangladesh. Email: [email protected]
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