Child marriage

Child marriage is when someone under 18 is married, either officially or not. This can happen to girls and boys and causes many problems.

Girls who marry young often cannot go to school or have job opportunities. They might also have health issues because of getting pregnant or having babies too early. Boys in child marriages may feel they must support a family and have a hard time finishing school or building a career.

Several reasons can lead to child marriages, such as poverty, cultural traditions, social pressure, and not having enough education. Experts think that good education and support for rural communities can help stop child marriages. Even though child marriage was more common in the past, it still happens in many parts of the world. This includes places in Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, West Asia, Latin and North America, and Oceania. Sadly, child marriage is still allowed in many states in the United States, sometimes as young as age 14.

Child marriage is seen as a big problem for human rights and health, especially for girls. The world is working to reduce this practice, and there has been some progress.

History

Before the Industrial Revolution, many girls around the world were married very young, often soon after they began to grow up. This practice continued into the 1800s in places where most people lived in the countryside. Boys usually married later, especially if they needed to earn money before they could start their own homes.

In ancient times and during the Middle Ages, it was common for girls to be promised in marriage even before they grew up. In some places, most girls married before they turned 15. In Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire, girls often married at 12 and boys at 14. In parts of Europe, people usually married later, in their mid-20s, except for very wealthy families. By the 1300s in England, laws were made to protect young girls from being treated unfairly in marriage. Later, similar rules were introduced in other places, like India under British rule.

In some areas, like Syria and Egypt, families would arrange marriages for their children when they were young, but would wait until the girls were older before the marriage fully began. By the early 1900s, many countries started setting minimum ages for marriage, like 16 for women and 18 for men in Egypt in 1923.

In the United States during the late 1800s, a small percentage of young women married before turning 18.

Religious norms and laws

Many religions have rules about how old people should be before they can get married. By the year 2000, most countries decided that people should be 18 years old to marry. But in some places, there are special rules that let younger people marry if their parents agree or a judge says it’s okay.

In Christianity, church rules used to say that girls couldn’t get married before they started growing into adults. Over time, these rules changed a few times.

In Hinduism, some very old writings say girls should marry after they started growing into adults, but some other writings say they could marry before. Today in India, the law says girls must be 18 and boys must be 21 before they can marry.

In Islam, there aren’t specific ages set in the old rules, but there are ideas about when someone is ready. Modern laws in many Middle Eastern countries now say people should be at least 15 or 16 to marry. In Saudi Arabia, the law now says people must be 18.

In Judaism, religious teachers say girls should not be married off while they are still very young. They have ideas about the best ages for marriage and advise against big age gaps between spouses.

Problems (gendered effects)

Child marriage can cause serious problems for girls. It can affect their health, education, and future chances. In some places, pregnancy and childbirth can be dangerous for young girls aged 15 to 19. For example, in Niger, many girls marry before they are 18.

Boys can also be married as children, but this happens less often than for girls. When boys marry early, they may not be ready for family responsibilities. They often miss out on education and job opportunities. Many more girls than boys experience child marriage, with girls being more likely to marry early than boys.

Causes

Factors that lead to child marriage include poverty, unequal roles between girls and boys, traditions, and feeling unsafe during difficult times like wars or natural disasters.

Sometimes families arrange marriages for their children very young to follow cultural customs or protect them from harm. In some places, families may marry off their daughters early because they cannot afford to support them or fear for their safety. Natural disasters can also increase child marriage as families struggle to survive.

In some cultures, marrying young is a tradition, and laws may allow it with special permission. This can happen in many countries, even those with higher general marriage ages.

Effects on global regions

A report from the United Nations said that many girls in developing regions were married before turning 18. The number changes a lot between countries. Girls living in rural areas are more likely to marry early than girls in cities.

Africa

Africa has the highest rates of child marriage. Some countries have over half of girls marrying before age 18. Niger has one of the highest rates. Although the number of child marriages has gone down worldwide, Africa still has the most severe problem.

African countries have laws about marriage age, but local customs and religious rules sometimes allow younger marriages. Child marriages happen a lot in West, Central, and Northeast Africa. Poverty, religion, tradition, and conflict are reasons for high rates in some parts of Sub-Saharan Africa.

Some countries have taken steps to stop child marriage.

Americas

Child marriage is common in Latin America and the Caribbean. Countries like the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Brazil, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Haiti, and Ecuador have some of the highest rates. Bolivia and Guyana have seen drops in child marriage rates.

Poverty and lack of laws are reasons for child marriage in Latin America. Some groups are working to change beliefs and help young girls. In Canada, the minimum age to marry is 16, but there are extra rules for those under 18. In the United States, laws about child marriage vary by state.

Asia

More than half of all child marriages happen in South Asian countries like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal. Rates have dropped in these areas.

In Western Asia, Afghanistan has high rates of child marriage. Saudi Arabia has taken steps to raise the minimum age to 18. Turkey also has many child marriages.

In Southeast Asia, some groups often marry young. Indonesia raised the marriage age for girls to 19 in 2019. Malaysia and the Philippines have also taken steps to stop child marriage. Bangladesh and India have worked to stop child marriage.

Nepal and Pakistan also face challenges with child marriage.

Europe

In Europe, each country has its own laws about marriage age. The general age to marry is 18 in all European Union countries, but some allow marriages under 18 with special permission.

In Scandinavia, countries like Sweden, Denmark, and Finland have banned marriage under 18. In some parts of Eastern Europe and the Balkans, child marriages happen among certain groups but are illegal.

In the United Kingdom, the marriage age is now 18 with no exceptions, but some cases still occur.

Consequences

Child marriage can cause problems that last a long time. Girls who marry young often have health issues, especially if they have babies too close together. This can make it hard for them to continue their education.

Early marriage can also make girls more likely to face difficult situations at home and miss out on learning. Without education, it becomes harder for them to earn a living or support themselves and their families. This can make it hard for them and their families to escape poverty.

Divorce

Divorce can be harder for children who are married because they are usually too young to ask for a divorce by themselves. The rules about divorce often assume that everyone getting married is an adult. Because of this, children sometimes need a judge’s permission or help from an adult during divorce proceedings. Some places, like New York state, have changed their rules so that a child can start a divorce without needing extra help from an adult.

Prevention

Child marriage is always considered forced marriage because children cannot fully agree to marry. Many groups work to help stop child marriage and forced marriage.

Children who are forced to marry have not broken any laws. In the United States, the government does not support child marriage and offers legal help to children trying to prevent or leave a forced marriage. Children can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline or reach out to Unchained At Last for help.

Different places have different rules about the age people can marry. Some states in the United States have banned marriages for people under 18, while others are still working on changing their laws. In other countries, like the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, there are also rules to protect children from being forced to marry.

International groups have also worked to stop child marriage. The United Nations has special days and resolutions to raise awareness about the problem. Programs that help prevent child marriage often focus on educating girls, changing community ideas, and providing economic help to families. These programs have shown that when families have other options, they are less likely to agree to child marriage.

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