Child Marriage and Its Impacts, Consequences and Effects on the Girl Child
Introduction
In India, Child Marriage is one of the most important social institutions where society used it to perpetuate it as a form of family relations. It refers to a social phenomenon where a young girl is married off (below the age of fifteen) to an adult man.
In India alone, around 45% of girls are married off below the age of 18(74.5%) followed by Chad, Mali, Bangladesh, Guinea and Central African Republic. Several girls who are married before eighteen are from poor families.
Many girls face the issue of domestic violence, pregnancy problems and death cases. Girls who are younger than 15 years are more prone to die in childbirth is in her 20s. The age under 18 years has a high fertility. A lot of child brides show signs and symptoms of sexual abuse and post traumatic stress.
Educational Effects of Child Marriage
Child Marriage usually means an end to a girl’s formal education. Girls tend to drop out of school while prepping for marriage or shortly after. Her new role as a wife or a mother comes with a lot of responsibility on the family, children and the home.
When the girl drops out, she is vulnerable to child marriage. Several girls are not in school just because a lot of schools are not accessible or expensive. Or parents just don’t understand the value of education. Girls who do not have access to education are three times more likely to marry before 18.
There are several practical and legal obstacles to married girls’ way back to school. Girls who live far or have children to look after might not be able to continue their education. A lot of times, the stigma of pregnancy keeps girls to return back to school. A few societies also forbid pregnant girls and young mothers from returning to school.
Health Effects of Child Marriage
A lot of complications in pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death in girls aged 15–19 globally. 90% of adolescent pregnancies are to girls who are already married. When a mother is under 20, her child is 50% more likely stillborn/die in its first weeks of life.
It encourages the initiation of sexual activity at a tender age. When the girl reaches puberty, and they know very little about sexual rights and reproductive health. A lot of child brides face death in childbirth.
They are especially vulnerable to pregnancy-related injuries. Once married, a lot of girls face social pressures to prove their fertility. Therefore, they result in early pregnancies. This results in a range of long term health complications and in some cases death.
Poverty
More than 50% girls from the poorest of the poor families are married off as children. Girls from poor backgrounds are more likely to be married before 18.
