Early Marriage
- WHAT IS EARLY MARRIAGE?
Early marriage or child marriage, is defined as the marriage or union between two people in which one or both parties are younger than 18 years of age. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognizes the right to “free and full” consent to a marriage, acknowledging that consent cannot be “free and full” when one of the individuals involved is not sufficiently mature to make an informed decision about a life partner. Nonetheless, in many low- and middle-income countries, particularly in poorer rural areas, girls are often committed to an arranged marriage without their knowledge or consent. Such an arrangement can occur as early as infancy. Parents see marriage as a cultural rite that protects their daughter from sexual assault and offers the care of a male guardian. Parents often feel that a young girl is an economic burden and therefore wish to marry off their young daughters before they become an economic liability.
Spousal age difference can make women more vulnerable to health risks and social isolation by creating power dynamics. These power dynamics can increase girls’ vulnerability to emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. In addition, young married girls are more likely to be illiterate and of low social status. They tend to have no access to financial resources and restricted mobility; they are therefore less likely to leave home to socialize with others, limiting their ability to obtain information on reproductive health, contraception, HIV, and other sexually transmitted infections. This power differential can also limit girls’ ability to negotiate contraceptive or condom use, putting them at high risk for contracting HIV.
Marriage is not as simple as one might imagine. It needs maturity both physically, psychologically, and emotionally. This is why early marriage is not recommended and the reason for early marriage rates must be suppressed. Maturity of yourself both mentally and financially is also an important aspect that needs to be considered before deciding to have a happy marriage.
Early marriage is influenced by several factors. Factors that are often associated with this condition are economic factors, lack of education, custom factors, the influence of the mass media, and certain conditions such as pregnancy outside marriage. Not only in terms of physical health, early marriage has a negative impact on the mental health or psychological condition of the couple and their children. Emotional instability in adolescents can lead to domestic violence.
Early marriage has lasting consequences on girls, from their health (mental and physical), education and social development perspectives. These consequences last well beyond adolescence. One of the most common causes of death for girls aged 15 to 19 in developing countries was pregnancy and childbirth. In Niger, which is estimated as having the highest rate of child marriage in the world, about 3 in 4 girls marry before their 18th birthday.
Spousal age difference can make women more vulnerable to health risks and social isolation by creating power dynamics. These power dynamics can increase girls’ vulnerability to emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. In addition, young married girls are more likely to be illiterate and of low social status. They tend to have no access to financial resources and restricted mobility; they are therefore less likely to leave home to socialize with others, limiting their ability to obtain information on reproductive health, contraception, HIV, and other sexually transmitted infections. This power differential can also limit girls’ ability to negotiate contraceptive or condom use, putting them at high risk for contracting HIV.
Marriage is not as simple as one might imagine. It needs maturity both physically, psychologically, and emotionally. This is why early marriage is not recommended and the reason for early marriage rates must be suppressed. Maturity of yourself both mentally and financially is also an important aspect that needs to be considered before deciding to have a happy marriage.
Early marriage is influenced by several factors. Factors that are often associated with this condition are economic factors, lack of education, custom factors, the influence of the mass media, and certain conditions such as pregnancy outside marriage. Not only in terms of physical health, early marriage has a negative impact on the mental health or psychological condition of the couple and their children. Emotional instability in adolescents can lead to domestic violence.
Early marriage has lasting consequences on girls, from their health (mental and physical), education and social development perspectives. These consequences last well beyond adolescence. One of the most common causes of death for girls aged 15 to 19 in developing countries was pregnancy and childbirth. In Niger, which is estimated as having the highest rate of child marriage in the world, about 3 in 4 girls marry before their 18th birthday.
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