The ManicaPost
Chipo Mufambi
A CHILD marriage is matrimonial union entered into by an individual before reaching the age of 18.
It is either formally arranged, where there is consent of parents and family members, or it is entered into informally.
Child marriages affect both girls and boys, though girls are more on the receiving end.
In many cases of child marriage, one partner is a child and usually a girl. Child marriages are an abuse of human rights.
The Bible prohibits child abuse. Jesus Christ offered protection and blessings to the children, not abuse.
There are a number of causes of child marriages which include: social and religious pressure, culture and tradition, illiteracy, premarital sex, gender inequalities, poverty and fear of remaining unmarried, though it is uncommon.
The social problem of child marriages is mostly prevalent in Africa, some parts of Asia and Latin America.
Poverty is a definite cause of child marriages.
Parents may marry off their child, a female, as a means of survival in form of the dowry they receive.
The child can also willingly get married in order to escape poverty without thinking through or knowing the consequences thereafter.
This is common in low and middle-income countries.
Premarital sex also contributes to the girl child being a victim of child marriages.
Artisanal miners lure young girls into having sex by flaunting material possessions and money at them.
This leaves them exposed to the danger of Sexual Transmitted Infections (STIs) and teenage pregnancies.
Subsequently, they end up getting married.
This creates a predicament for them because they would be too young to perform their responsibility as a married woman.
Culture, tradition, social and religious pressure can push young girls into marriages.
Most families and communities have a mentality that a girl child is a burden to the family and her only fate is to get married and be a housewife.
They end up denying the girl child basic rights such as education and the right to choose their future partner.
Some church denominations even allow young girls to be married off.
The young girls would undergo virgin-testing procedures and those who pass the test would most likely be taken into marriage despite their young ages.
Some religions do it for protection.
Child marriages have their consequences.
The best interests of the girl child involved in the marriage are forgotten or ignored.
Just like everyone else, the girl has hopes and dreams, too, that she aspires to fulfil.
When they are married off, their dreams are, therefore, extinguished.
Hence, the girl hence misses out on life opportunities.
It deprives them of a chance to determine their future through making own choices.
Many girls who get married early drop out of school and by doing so, their intellectual growth gets stunted.
Their offspring are most likely to become illiterate, too.
Being married while still a child can result in health complications.
The victims’ health is put at risk as they are likely to contract STIs such as HIV-Aids. Consequently, the girls’ mental well-being is affected.
There is also the threat of infant and maternal mortality during child birth.
The young mother’s body would not be ready for child bearing, something her body and mind is not prepared for.
Child marriages often lead to different forms of abuse and domestic violence, which may lead to post-traumatic stress.
Household responsibilities fall on the child bride even though she is not mentally and physically ready for it.
Since she would be young, the responsibilities of a married woman would be a challenge to her.
Robbed of the time to play with her peers, taking care of a child would be difficult for her because she would also be a child who needs to be taken care of.
Being unable to fulfil the duties expected of a married woman may make the husband angry and he would react violently towards her.
In order to eliminate child marriages, we can raise awareness about the negative effects of the scourge as well as the violation of rights of girls it causes.
This helps in sensitising and changing communities’ attitude while reminding parents and guardians on their duty to protect the girl child.
This promotes gender balance and equity as people willfully understand and appreciate the need to end child marriages.
Policies and laws that forbid child marriages should also be put in place to wipe out the scourge.
These are important in preventing both girls and boys from being given away in marriage.
Child marriage is a crime and whoever marries a minor consensually or forcefully, must face the full wrath of the law.
Such laws that deal with child marriages must be known by everyone, especially in rural areas where child marriages are prevalent.
We cannot depend on legislation alone to nip this problem in the bud. Girls can be empowered through supportive networks such as United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) initiatives, high quality education and access to information and skills on how to develop themselves.
Girls should be encouraged to become literate and independent.
As youths,we can also carry out door-to-door campaigns, talking to people and encouraging them to be involved in ending child marriages in our communities.
We can also start committees that deal with supporting girl children with education and some basic necessities such as food and shelter.
As teenagers, we are aware of the challenges and temptations we face and can, therefore, help each other to overcome them.
By eradicating poverty, we can help solve the problem of child marriages as this is one of its major causes.
In order to do so, young girls can be assisted to establishing come generating projects so to find something to occupy theme and improve their livelihoods.
For example, CAMFED helps girls with projects like rearing broilers for sale and this should be emulated.
As a society, we can start other groupings to protect minors from child marriages and promote strict adherence to child protection protocols.
Moreover, such committees must be corruption-free so as not accept bribes from perpetrators of child marriages and sweep issues under the carpet.
Their aim is to end child marriages immediately, once and for all.
Members will be active pushing for the law to take its course and bring culprits to book. We need to be brave, united and speak with one voice in raising concern over child marriages.
Eliminating child marriages completely by 2030 is possible if we put our hands and heads together.
We can succeed with our purpose, together we achieve more.
The writer is in Form 3A at Chipangayi Secondary School.
