Early marriage Causes Harm to Women

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Early marriage Causes Harm to Women

by Kamala Sarup

 

Today, many countries still set a lower minimum age of

marriage for females than for males. However, there are an

increasing number of women insisting that young girls not

be married until they reach a sufficient age to make such an

informed choice.

 

While the union of marriage is universal, in many parts of

the world, men retain far greater power over their spouses.

This recognition of a woman's lack of power in the decision

making process, both prior to and following a marriage

union, is important for many reasons.

 

Statistics show that the majority of girls in Asia, Africa and

Latin America are married by the age of 14. According to

reports, in six of the 21 sub-Saharan African countries

surveyed, the average age of marriage was less than 18. In

Bangladesh, Guinea, Mali, Niger and Yemen, more than

half of all young women interviewed were married by age

16. Gender discrimination in Hindu marriage law is perhaps

one of the most extreme. Hindu law permits the marriage

between very young girls to extraordinarily elderly men.

 

The fundamental principle, that all women should be

entitled to " bodily integrity, " is not always recognized or

enforced, however, and in parts of South Asia, this principal

is often ignored. Violence against women and girls, forced

early marriage, and other harmful practices are not

uncommon.

 

Statistics show that in both Bangladesh and Bhutan, four

percent of girls are married before the age of 14. In

Maldives 12 percent, a staggering 40 percent in Nepal, four

percent in Pakistan, and in Sri Lanka, 0.2 percent.

 

Furthermore, additional reports indicate that nearly seven

percent of girls were found to be married before reaching

the age of 10.

 

In Nepal, the civil code of 1963 fixed the legal age for

marriage of girls at 16, and made polygamy and child

marriage illegal. Nevertheless, while these laws may be on

the books, they have shown to be faulty as well as

contradictory. Such contradictions still exist as

demonstrated by the [Nepali] Marriage Act, provision 6 of

the civil code, which permits for the payment of a dowry;

reports of extreme variations in the age of girls being

married - as low as 13.7 years in the Tarai district of

Mahottari -- and as high as 25.8 years in the mountain

district of Mustang, all of which have been recorded.

 

Urban women marry later than their rural counterparts, the

average age being 18.5 and 17.1, respectfully. A breakdown

of statistics shows that approximately 60 percent of the girls

between the ages of 15-19 are married. Of all Nepalese

women, 20 percent are married before the age of 15, and 40

percent by the age of 18. As shown, marriage at an early age

is still the common practice in such rural areas.

 

Due to a host of problems and abuses of women, and as a

result of early, or premature marriage, governments should

take measures to combat these unions and should be held

accountable for failure to do so.

 

Not only should all women have a choice in the decision

making process of marriage, but they must have the right to

express their sexuality without fear, abuse, risk of disease,

or discrimination based on sexual orientation.

 

The existing world order, often based on injustice and unfair

economic opportunities, is to a great extent, responsible for

the discriminatory practices against women.

 

In summary, early marriage can have several harmful effects

on the overall well being of a young girl, or child, who is

not mentally, psychologically, emotionally or physically

prepared for a conjugal life. However, as played out in

many rural areas, women in the developing world attain

status only through marriage and producing as many

children as possible, and preferably, sons.

 

Nepali Journalist and Story Writer Kamala Sarup associates

and writes for http://www.mediaforfreedom.com/

 

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