(Institute/College/University)
Child Brides: Impacts and causes
In the data of the United Nations, approximately 37,000 underage girls are married off every day. It is estimated that one out every three girls are married before these reach the age of 18; if current trends continue, it is believed that in the next ten years, there will be more than 140 million underage brides (International Women’s Health Coalition). Major international accords, such as the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the Convention on the Rights of a Child, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights all ban the practice of underage brides as a form of abuse against girls.
In many parts of the globe, even with the presence of these long-standing international agreements, the practice of child brides is not only prevalent; it is a long held cultural practice (About, 2014). Cultures such as those in the Middle East place a high premium on the chastity of the girl which is closely linked to family honor. Parents in the Middle East marry off the daughters to guarantee that the girl remains chaste as well as ensure that the girl will not get pregnant “out of wedlock.” A number of Muslims follow a moderate interpretation of Sharia law that posits that girls can be married once these reach the “age of majority,” which a number of Muslim commentators establish at the age of puberty.
However, child brides are exposed to grave health risks after marriage. After their marriages, many child brides are expected to immediately consummate the marriage and have children. This condition exposes the child to conditions such as “obstetric fistula,” an ailment that results in continual incontinence and is generally seen in child brides who bear children before their bodies fully develop. Owing to the fact that child marriages impact economic factors in a country, the international community must see this as a foreign affairs issue as well as a social issue. There must be pressure from the international community to eventually eradicate the practice (Council on Foreign Relations, 2013).
References
About, “Child marriage: facts, causes, and consequences” Retrieved 28 March 2016 from <http://middleeast.about.com/od/humanrightsdemocracy/a/child-brides.htm
Council on Foreign Relations, 2013, “Child marriages,” Retrieved 28 March 2016 from <http://www.cfr.org/peace-conflict-and-human-rights/child-marriage/p32096#!/?cid=otr_marketing_use-child_marriage_Infoguide#!%2F
International Women’s Health Coalition. “The facts on child marriage” Retrieved 28 March 2016 from <https://iwhc.org/resource/facts-child-marriage/
