5 Reasons Why Child Marriage Is An Outdated Social Custom

Many girls in the developing world, especially in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, are subjected to marriage at a young age. These girls are expected to get married anytime between 10-18 years old in order to lessen their family's economic burden and because cultural or religious beliefs need to be met. However, this often causes them to have health problems, lose a chance at secondary education, and relinquish their independence. Therefore, in modern times, child marriage is a cultural practice that does more harm than good and it needs to be ended for young girls today and the girls of the future.

1. The Economy is Not a Good Enough Reason for Human Rights Infringement

UNICEF

Many people, mostly men, who support the idea of child marriage rely on the fact that many families have to marry off their daughters in order to maintain economic stability. However, they are ignoring that by doing so, they rob their daughters of their rights as human beings. Each person has a right to make their own decisions and should not have to be sold or bartered to another family in order for the economy to be stable. There are many other ways that the economy could be improved upon such as more employment opportunities and secondary education. By improving these young girls' educations, they will have chances of getting jobs which means they can contribute to their families' income. They could also help pay for their sibling's schooling making the entire community more educated which gives it a better chance for growth and success. (Nyguen 1) Therefore, saying that child marriage helps stabilize the economy, is being reluctant and ignorant to the opportunity of change that would improve not only this generation of young girls but also the generations to follow.

2. Cultural Beliefs Should Represent the Current Generation

CARE

Most groups of people have social customs or cultural beliefs they follow in order to facilitate a successful community. However, the these beliefs should represent the current people, not people from hundreds of years ago. Many of the religious or cultural beliefs that support child marriage are ideas that were created hundreds of years ago when women were seen as lesser people. In the 21st century, women globally have worked hard to make sure they are seen as equal to their male peers and therefore, they should choose when or even if they will be married. Marriage should not be an escape from economic or societal pressure. It should be a representation of love and partnership. Therefore, societal beliefs should be updated into the current time period to ensure that they are more beneficial to the community than harmful.

3. The Sexual Health of Women is Important

Jennifer Ludden / NPR

When girls are married at such a young age, they often have unprotected sex at a young age as well. This leads to sexually transmitted disease, unwanted pregnancy, and low self esteem issues in the future. Girls are often married to men much older than themselves meaning they are less sexually experienced than their husbands. This often heightens the risk that they will contract STDs because they are unaware that they should use condoms to prevent disease. Also, they are less likely to use any form of birth control meaning that they have much higher rates of becoming young mothers which can cause health problems being that they are still children themselves. (Maternal and Newborn Health 31-33) Psychologically, these girls may feel taken advantage of, unwanted, or scared because they are too immature to be having sex and dealing with the adult repercussions that may come of it.

4. Girls Shouldn't Have to Choose Between Individuality and Acceptance

NGO photography Arjen van de Merwe

Marriage is a commitment to another person that often means losing a piece of your freedom. This is usually fine in consensual, adult marriage however to adolescent girls, it is a harsh realization. These girls never get a chance to become themselves because from a young age they are someone else's wife. They are never alone, they do not get to make teenage mistakes or choose what they want to become because they are expected to be married. This can have a damaging affect on their personalities because they can lose the part of themselves that makes them unique people. This often leads to depression, reclusive personalities, and sometimes even thoughts of suicide. Therefore, it is important to realize that child marriage has a huge affect on these girls not only physically, but mentally as well. (Girls Not Brides)

5. Education is Essential in the Modern Age

UNICEF

Education is a huge part in what separates the developed world from the developing world. In the developing world, a woman's education is often a minor concern because women are seen as inferior to men. Therefore, when they are married off at a young age, they are often rushed into the roles of wife and mother and lose their chance at an education. This is damaging to the society because that means around 50 percent of their population is uneducated and can do little to benefit the community to help make it grow. (Brown 6) This causes social, political, and economic problems that they try to fix by continuing to marry these young girls off, however many problems could be solved if they were given an education instead of a husband. Education is essential to success in the last fifty years and to deny around half of a country's population the chance to learn is a recipe for disaster. This is why instead of denying these girls education, education should be used as a weapon to combat the problems child marriage worsens such as poverty, gender inequality, and societal unrest. It is unfair and immoral to deny a person educational opportunities because of gender. Therefore, by ending child marriage and allowing young girls to have the same opportunities as boys, you are telling them that their contribution to the community is just as important which will strengthen the population. (Ending Child Marriage 4)

Works Cited

Brown, Gordon. "Out of Wedlock and Into School". The Office of Sarah and Gordon Brown. 2012. 1-32. PDF file. 18 Oct. 2015.

Nyguen, Minh Cong and Quentin Wodon. "Child Marriage and Education: A Major Challenge". The World Bank. 2012. 1-2. PDF File. 18 Oct. 2015.

Sundaram, Lakhsmi. "Girls Not Brides". Girls Not Brides, 2002. Web. 18 Oct. 2015.

UNICEF. "Ending Child Marriage". United Nations Children Fund. 2013. 1-8. PDF File. 18 Oct. 2015

UNICEF. "Maternal and Newborn Health". United Nations Children Fund. 2008. 1-36. PDF File. 18 Oct. 2015