CHILD MARRIAGE:
DETRIMENTAL TO A GIRL’S EDUCATION
CHILD MARRIAGE is a marriage or union between two people where one or both of the partners are under the age of 18 1
CAUSES: The practice of Child Marriage is strongly linked to POVERTY and a family’s economic status will factor into the decision to marry daughters early. Marriage often brings money to the family with a dowry or bridewealth.
CONSEQUENCES: Young brides are more likely
- to be POOR
- experience physical or sexual VIOLENCE at home,
- contract HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases,
- experience RISKY childbirth,
- and DROP OUT OF SCHOOL.
FIGURES:
- Today, more than 50 million girls age 15-19 are married.2
- Based on present trends, more than 100 million girls will marry as children in the coming decade3.
- Around 14 million girls between the ages of 15-19 give birth each year4.
- 62 million girls do not attend school5.
SOLUTIONS:
- Providing economic incentives for families to keep girls in school
- Increase access to education and employment opportunities in order to delay marriage.
- Build self-esteem and skills in girls to help them resist pressure to get married.
- Work with families to discuss benefits of keeping their daughters in school and delaying marriage.
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EDUCATION and CHILD MARRIAGE
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Child brides are often forced to drop out of school while domestic duties and childbearing may prevent a girl from re-enrolling.
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As mothers, girls without education are less likely to send their children to school leading to a generational cycle of illiteracy, sickness, and poverty.
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UNICEF research indicates that schooling is the key to delaying Child Marriage: The more education a girl receives, the less likely she is to marry before the age of 18.
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Moreover, girls’ education leads to smaller and healthier families, employment, greater investment in children’s health and education, and increased economic status.
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ACTION: Write to your Senators and urge them to support the International Child Marriage Prevention Act of 2007 (S 1998). See the GLI CHILD MARRIAGE CAMPAIGN LETTER for suggested template.
1 The Convention on the Rights of the Child defines children as people under the age of 18.
2 http://www.icrw.docs/2007-new-insights-preventing-child-marriage.pdf)
3 http://www.unfpa.org/swp/2005/presskit/factsheets/facts_child_marriage.htm
4 http://www.unfpa.org/swp/2005/presskit/factsheets/facts_child_marriage.htm
5 http://www.unicef.org/girlseducation/index_bigpicture.html |
