A marriage should be a blissful and harmonious union for both male and female counterparts. What can make the union a misery for either one of the spouses? In my opinion, one of the factors is child marriage.
Unfortunately, child marriage is on the rise in Zimbabwe and other countries abroad. Child marriage is a marital union where either spouse is below 18 years of age (Worldbank blogs). It can be argued that the girl child is disproportionately the most affected given that in most marital unions, the female counterpart is usually below age of consent.
However, it can be said that others such as the parents, relatives, friends and neighbours might be affected with child marriage. What are the causes of child marriage? Before, I answer this important question, child marriage is one of the main root of girl child distraction which bear long term effects.
The causes can be classified into sections which are social class, religious norms, family honour as well as poor parenting, financial or food insecurity, lack of education, ignorance, peer pressure and poor enforcement of the law, all these amongst unmentioned factors compromises a child’s development and limits life opportunities.
As highlighted earlier that child marriage mostly affect the girl child, this is a global issue as according to UNICEF 2020, the Non-governmental organization records that in 2020, 21 % of young girls were married off before 18 years, thus around 12 million girls under 18 are married each year.
Although the Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rate, Zimbabwe is on the
rise as proven by Plan International (NGO) through 2019 statistics whereby cases of girls married under the age of 15 was on the rise from 4.9% to 5.4%.
I can give a benefit of doubt that child marriage can work out, given the fact that every marriage has its own ups and downs and hiccups here and there, however, I cannot dismiss other factors that makes it a matter of concern. The type of marriage in discussion causes physical, psychological, mental and emotional negative effects. Physically, as the girl child’s body will not be fully developed according to scientists, it has a bearing on health as the body
is not physically developed to give birth, hence there is high risk of miscarriage, increased risks for sexually transmitted diseases, cervical cancer, obstetric fistulas, death during childbirth.
Also, off springs have a high risk of premature birth or death during delivery. The girl child is also at a risk of physical violence from the spouse.
Psychologically, the women often suffer post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, PTSD symptoms as defined scientifically affects the mental condition and are nightmares and severe anxiety.
Ending a phase or era of a threat takes time, but what matters is that people unite and work together in order to build a safer place for survival. Nations, communities, societies, institutions and individuals can unite to a positive change and creating a safer environment for the girl child. Solutions include empowering the girl child with information and support systems, educate the parents as well as social institutions, provide education to the girl child,
economically support the families and enforce laws and policies that uphold girl child rights.
In summation, early child marriage can be argued to be a union that causes negative effects in every way of the victim as the girl child is deprived of her sexual rights as well as life choices due to the fact that after marriage all she will focus on is the family and performing her wifely duties to the husband.
# STOP CHILD MARRIAGE
# GIRL CHILD, A SPECIAL GIFT
# GIRL CHILD, A BRIGHTER TOMORROW
Article By Blessing R. Chifamba
