Child marriage is a practice prevalent where girls are married off between the ages of fifteen and eighteen.
Fifty percent of the population is female, yet they will have no power due to child marriage. Societies that condone this practice never prosper. Much of Africa has a current rate of 72% of girls being married with India having a rate of 49%.
I witnessed this practice in Afghanistan while I was there. Very sad indeed.
Girls will be married off to older men for financial and sexual reasons. She has no power to disobey what ever insanity he may want. As she is his property she may be whipped, tortured or killed at his pleasure. He may arrange her demise so he can marry another.
Children born to young girls under eighteen are 68% likely to die before they turn one. Girls are more prone to death or injury due to early sexual activity and early childbearing. A girl under the age of fifteen is five times more likely to die in childbirth than a woman in her twenties.
As young brides often have older husbands, they may not have the power to negotiate safe sexual behaviour. This means they are more vulnerable to HIV infection and more likely to suffer domestic violence. Girls who marry young cannot complete their education increasing the power gap between men and women.
Taken together, the cost of this practice is extremely high and will ensure societies/countries staying in poverty.
Progress has been made as awareness is communicated and accepted. In India until changes were made by the English, there were practices where upon her husbands death and cremation, the bride had to leap into the fire to be with her husband. Too much of a financial burden to the rest of the community in reality. Also stopped, was the practice of all the women of the defeated warring faction, required to leap into a fire pit. Barbaric to be sure and real within our humanity.
Thanks for taking the time to read and understand why women of this world suffer such inequality. Education! Education will eventually change the inequality. How fast or how slow?
Gandi said "you be the change you want to see in this world".
Your thoughts please!
4 comments:
It seems that in cultures that condone this type of suppression of women there can be no equality, or even the thought of equality for women, until the entire culture is educated in human decency. These are cultures that have operated under the same ignorant beliefs for hundreds of years – generation after generation taught by the one before to devalue human – female – life in the most horrific ways. Until these cultures are brought into the present, taught the value of all life, taught ways to increase their own standard of living, taught commerce –planting, manufacturing – all the things that help a culture thrive, these practices will continue and women will never achieve any type of self-worth. Sadly, they may not want to learn and will continue in their ignorance.
Historically there seems to be three main reasons ‘Child Marriage’ is still practiced. The first and oldest is for political, religious or social status, as to bind families, follow religious customs and cement agreements. The second is to encourage closeness and loyalty of the individuals to each other. The last and largest seems to be the low place females have in society, and to ensure the benefit of ridding the family of the ‘burden’ of a girl and/or to acquire financially. When a family expects to receive a ‘bride price’ for a little girl, the price is generally reduced as she ages. It is then to the advantage of the family to marry off the daughters as young as possible. It is often the case that disease, child death, poverty, violence and medical issues increase with uneducated and informed girls having sex and unable to protect themselves in any way. Early marriage is definitely an obstacle to education, jobs, wealth and health for most of these women and their children.
Males, on the other hand, are not generally expected to marry as early. They often continue on their course to education and jobs. They often remain healthier and have more wealth. This creates the male dominance in society in most cases. Most girls are married off to much older men since these men have the wealth to pay the ‘bride price’. The males also retain the power in society and encourage the perpetuation of these often religious institutionalized ideas.
There are laws against early marriage everywhere. However, all over the world, including here in the States, various religious sects violate them. Doing so can ruin the health of these girls as well as putting to an end their chances for anything more than being a female child who raises children. Often the ignorance simply continues from one generation to the next.
My view is that the world is in a financial crisis. ‘Child Marriage’ adds to every problem we face in a cycle that keeps generation after generation poor, ignorant and ill. Today, the forces of governments and religious entities, which support ‘Child Marriage’ behaviors are cutting the throat of its’ own future. They prevent girls and some boys from achieving in life. These children married off early go on to create even more children who need resources. These children are not equipped to earn or create what is necessary to provide for themselves, let alone their children. Poverty, disease, and hunger are perpetuated. It is a vicious cycle, supported under the guise of custom, tradition and religious fervor. Most of us know how difficult it is to have little ones, but imagine being a poor 12 year-old girl, with an obstetric condition and with the responsibility of a new born. This is definitely slavery for women.
-Sally
Once again, very well said "Unknown".
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