Child Marriage Blog 1

Her parents were very poor. They had several children at home. Her father could not provide for the family so they depended on the mother whose only profit came from digging people’s garden in exchange for money. It wasn’t always to sustain them.

This forced Birija to get married early thinking she will maybe relieved from poverty. She dropped out of school when she was in primary school, she was being overworked at home and wanted a relief or freedom so she decided to get married.

What is the status of Child marriage in Africa?

Child marriage is considered as a human rights violation which is taking place on a vast scale in West and Central Africa. This disproportionately affects girls. Girls who marry early often drop out of schools and face physical risks, especially during pregnancy.

Six of the world’s 10 countries with the highest rates of child marriage are in West and Central Africa. Average prevalence across the region remains high: about 41 per cent of girls marry before the age of 18.

Rapid growth of child marriage in African countries makes it necessary for these countries to increase efforts to address child marriage. Ending child marriage will help several adolescent girls to realize their full potential which will improve their maternal health.

The Sustainable Developmental Goals or SDG’s target to eliminate all forms of practices including child marriage. In West and Central Africa, there is a need to eradicate child marriage. Several countries have developed and began to implement schemes to eradicate child marriage

Strategies to end child marriage

In sub-Saharan Africa, a staggering 40 percent of girls marry before age 18, and African countries account for 15 of the 20 countries with the highest rates of child marriage. For example, 77 percent of girls in Niger, and over 60 percent of girls in Central African Republic and Chad, marry before they turn 18. Without progress to prevent child marriage, the number of girls married as children will double by 2050, and Africa will surpass South Asia as the region with the highest number of child brides in the world.

Girls who marry young are often denied a range of human rights: many must discontinue their education, face serious health risks from early and multiple pregnancies, and suffer sexual and domestic violence. Agenda 2063, the African Union’s 50-year action plan for development, recognizes that child marriage is a major impediment to regional development and prosperity. Countries lose out on potentially enormous social, economic, and political contributions these girls could make if given the right opportunities from the start.

WHO WE ARE

The Casey Foundation was founded in 2020. We are a not-for-profit organization that advocates for protecting and safeguarding female adolescents against child marriages and teenage pregnancies. We believe that ending child marriage and adolescent pregnancies will remove a significant barrier to global progress and ensure a world where girls look forward to their future. We aim to build a lot in which all girls have the opportunity to reach significant heights. https://www.caseyfoundationafrica.org

Why you should donate to Casey Foundation.

One or the best African charities to donate to is the Casey Foundation. The Organization is driven by passion and committed towards fighting and ending child marriages and teenage pregnancies through education, skilling, advocacy, mentorship, and empowerment for young vulnerable girls to attain their full potential.

Make your impact towards humanity today by donating to sponsor our vision @Casey Foundation.

https://www.givingway.com/campaign/fdcb7cb

With your donation, together we can achieve our goals