What countries still practice child marriage?

The bane of child marriage can be traced back to ancient and medieval times, as a mechanism to boost population. As declared by international norms, childhood ends at the age of 18, but this has been interpreted by communities varyingly. The marriageable age was influenced and marked by different religions, usually at the onset of puberty with sometimes letting the guardian give consent. The universal definition of child marriage is a formal marriage or an informal union of two individuals, before reaching a specified age of 18 years. Largely frowned upon now, and often illegal, the practice of child marriage transcends regional and cultural boundaries. With the United Nations declaring the child marriage as a violation of human rights, the disparities persist at varying degrees.

African nations depict high number of child marriages with Niger (76%) Chad (68%) and Central African Republic (68%) being the top three nations. Owing to the religious courts and local customs, the African nations lack strict law enforcement agencies, failing in the enactment of marriageable age laws. According to the studies by International Center for Research on Women, poverty is one of the main drivers of child marriage in Niger. Hoping for economic prosperity and social status, the exchanges like bride-price and dowry catalyze the practice of child marriage.

There is a remarkable link between the level of education and the age of child marriage. Studies depict that attainment of higher levels of education leads to social and cognitive skill development, pushing early marriages at bay. In case of Chad, the Ford Foundation pointed at ‘cultural tradition, conflict, state fragility and a general bewilderment by parents and communities about what to do with large number of children in the face of a failing education system and stiffed economy,’ as the reason for the practice to be reoccurring.

Let the child be a child! Child marriages rip children off their childhood and rob their social opportunities. It affects both the genders negatively by premature nuptials. Across developing countries, one in three girls are betrothed before turning 18 and one in nine before turning 15. Analysts state, with such trends continuing, 142 million girls will be married before adulthood in this decade. These have both mental and health issues related to it. Girls under 15 are five times more likely to die in childbirth than women in their 20s and face higher risk of pregnancy-related injuries, such as obstetric fistula, high risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. The negative consequences of child marriage reach beyond the girls themselves: children of child brides are 60 percent more likely to die in the first year of life than those born to mothers older than 19. The boys on the other hand, are often forced to drop out of school and take menial jobs to support their new family. This perpetuates the cycle of poverty.

Countries like Tunisia, Algeria, Serbia account for only 2%-3% of cases of child marriage. The implementation of stringent laws does not allow marriage before the age of 18, and 16 with the consent of the guardian. Different policy measures have been put forward to tackle the menace of child marriage. These include expanding access to education to boost social skills and income earning prospects, spreading awareness through information campaigns to change the outlook of communities towards child marriage, offer incentives and spread mental and health programs.

Underlying table depicts the percentage number of child marriage by 18 around the world –

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