RachelAdler

April27,2015
Dr.Sheradin
ResearchPaper

BabyBrides
Pictureyourdaughter.Thinkabouthercutelittlelaughandhersmallhands.
Thinkabouthowwhenshesmilesatyouhereyescrinkle.Nowimagineyourlittlegirl
gettinghereducationtakenaway.Yourdaughtercantreadorwrite,doesntknowbasic
grammar,andheronlyskillsaredomesticones.Shesstuck.Withoutaneducation,
yourlittlegirlcantaccessopportunitieswhichshewouldotherwiseneedinorderto
succeedandmoveupintheworld.Shewillneverreachherfullpotential.Instead,the
restofherlifewillconsistofgivingbirthandactingasacaretakertoherchildrenand
herhusband.Shemayormaynotbecomeavictimofdomesticand/orsexualabuse.
Shemayormaynotsufferfromhealthrisksassociatedwithearlysexualactivity,such
ascontractingSTIsandSTDs,alongwiththedangerofmortalityafterchildbirth.Allof
thisisaccompaniedbythesocialisolationshewillsuffer.Thisistherealityofchild
bridesallovertheworld.Everyday,morethan39,000childrenareforcedintomarriage,
andforcedintothisreality.1
Thereareseveralreasonswhydifferentfamiliesarrangemarriagesfortheir
youngdaughtersandoccasionallysons.Somedoitforreligiousreasonsortofitthe

"CHILDMARRIAGE,"Care,accessedMarch29,2015,
http://www.care.org/work/womensempowerment/childmarriage.
1

culturalnorm,butthemostcommonreasonisforthemoney.Themajorityofchild
bridescomefromimpoverishedfamilieslivinginruralareas.Manyfamiliesseetheir
daughterasaneconomicburden,specificallyfamilieslivingincommunitieswhere
peopledonotconsiderwomenviablewageearners.Alotofthemmarrytheirdaughters
offbeforetheygetaneducationtoavoidthecostsofsendingthemtoschoolandto
relievethefinancialstressofprovidingforthem.Also,theyoungerthebride,thebetter
financiallyforherfamily.InplaceslikeIndia,theyoungerthebrideis,thelowerthe
dowrypriceisandinplaceslikeAfrica,theyoungerthebrideis,thehigherthebride
priceis.Dowriesarefeespaidtothegroomsfamilyandbridepricesarefeespaidto
thebridesfamily.Familiesmightalsopayoffadebtorendafeudbyarranginga
marriagewiththeirdaughter.However,themajorityofthesefamilieswouldliketodelay
thesemarriages,butseenootheroptionduetotheirfinancialsituations.Abdul
MohammadAli,aYemenfatherofanineyearoldchildbride,said,Iwasreallyinneed
ofmoneyandthoughtitwasasolutionforthefamily2 andthiswashisreasoning
behindmarryingheroff.Manyfamiliesofchildbridesliveinpovertyandneedthe
money.Somereligionsandcultureshavetraditionallyhadchildbridesforalongtime,
andpeoplepartofthesereligiousorculturalcommunitiesfeelasiftheyshouldcontinue
thattradition.Wecanbendtheseculturalnorms.Itsnotimpossible.Wecanmakea
changeforgirlsinthesereligiousandculturalcommunities.AsingleprojectinEthiopia
managedtostopatleast180childmarriagesandconvincethecommunitiesto2There

"ChildMarriage,"CouncilonForeignRelations,lastmodified2013,accessedApril14,2015,
http://www.cfr.org/peaceconflictandhumanrights/childmarriage/p32096#!/?cid=otr_marketing_usechild_marriage_
Infoguide%23!%2F.
2

areplentyofreasonsastowhycertainfamiliesmarryofftheirdaughters,butthereisno
questionthatitisaviolationoftheirdaughtershumanrights.
Childbridesreceiveviolationstotheirrightswhenenteringamarriageaccording
totheUniversalDeclarationofHumanRights.Someofthoserightsincludetherightto
education,therighttomarriageandfamily,andsomepeoplecouldevenclaimthatthe
rightoffreedomfromslaveryisviolatedaswell.Whenputintoanarrangedmarriage,
typicallyayounggirlseducationisputtoastop.Theirhusbanddoesntwantorallow
hischildwifeseducationtocontinue,sothatshecanfocusallofherenergyintobeing
awifeandeventuallyamother.Evenifthehusbandallowshiswifetocontinueinher
education,shewillhavetodropoutwhenshebecomesamother.Withoutan
education,childbrideschancesofearningtheirownwagesgoesdownand
consequentlyleadsthegirltobecomemorereliantonherhusbandanditmakesitmore
difficultforhertoleavehim,ifhesabusive,withoutbeingfinanciallyunstable.Theright
tomarriageandfamilystatesthatmarriagecanonlybeenteredwiththefullconsentof
bothspousesandtheyhavetobeoffullage.Achildundertheageofeighteencant
giveconsentnorishe/sheoffullage.Somecouldlookatchildmarriageasslavery.A
childisexchangedformoneyorsomematerialisticobjectinexchangeforher/hishand
inmarriage,whichshe/hehasnotgivenconsentto.Thechildisthenstuckinthe
marriageandthenleadsalifeofdomesticchoresandearlychildbearing.Slaveryisa
violationofchildbridesbasichumanrights.
Thereareconventionstoprotecttherightsthatarebeingviolatedinchild
marriages.OneofthemistheconventiononConsenttoMarriage,MinimumAgeFor

Marriage,andRegistrationofMarriagetheotheroneistheConventiononElimination
ofFormsofDiscriminationAgainstWomen.Inarticletwoofthefirstconvention,itis
statedthateachcountrymustspecifyaminimumageformarriageandnopersonunder
thissetagecanlegallyenterintoamarriage.Unfortunatelytherearecountriesthat
havenotsetupaspecificageortheagesthattheyhaveestablishedarefartooyoung.
EvenintheUnitedStates,therearestatesthathavedisgustinglylowagelimits.
Mississippiallowsgirlsages15+andboys17+togetmarriedandMassachusetts
allowsgirlstomarryat12andboysat14withparentalconsent.3
Therearemanynongovernmentalorganizationsthatareworkingtoimprovethe
childmarriagesituationaroundtheworld.TheresBreakthrough,CARE,Forward,Girls
NotBrides,GirlsUp,Humanium:HelptheChildren,ICRW,SavetheChildren,and
plentyothers.Specifically,Humaniumisaverygoodone.Itsaninternationalchild
sponsorshipNGOthatstrivestoendviolationstochildrensrights.Theyresearchchild
marriageandcallawarenesstoit.Moreimportantly,theyhelpsupportcountriesexpel
marriageandguidecountriesthroughthelegalprocesses.Theyhaveprojectscurrently
goingoninMadagascar,Senegal,Guatemala,Honduras,Bangladesh,China,India,
Bulgaria,Palestine,andTurkey.Theyalsoprovideanyfinancialassistancetochildren
sufferingfromviolationstotheirhumanrightsmightneed.Adifferent,largerNGOis
GirlsNotBrides.ThisNGOactuallyisacompilationofNGOs.Itisaglobalpartnership
consistingof300+NGOsfromover70countries.Membersofthepartnershipwork
directlyincommunitieswherechildmarriageiscommon.Theirfocusisonresearching

"CHILDMARRIAGE,"Care,accessedMarch29,2015,
http://www.care.org/work/womensempowerment/childmarriage.
3

childmarriageandbringingattentiontoitglobally.Theyassistcommunitiesinputting
laws,policies,andprogrammesintoplaceagainstchildmarriage.Theyraisealotof
awarenessaboutchildmarriagetotheglobalcommunity.Bybondingtogetherallof
theseorganizations,theyexpandtheirhorizonsandopportunitiesinendingchild
marriage.
Childmarriageexistseverywhere,buttherearesomeareaswhereitprovesto
bemoreprevalentcomparedtoothers.Nigerhasthehighestprevalenceofchildbrides
intheworldwitha7079%prevalenceofchildbridesundertheageof18.4Guinea,
Chad,andBangladeshallhaveaprevalencerateof6069%.5However,India
surpassesallothercountriesinchildmarriagesbyfar.Around40%ofalltheworlds
childmarriagesoccurinIndia.6 Indiahas10,063childbrides,followedbyBangladesh
with2,359brides,andtrailingbehindisNigeriawith1,193brides.7Thetop10countries
withchildbridesareIndia,Bangladesh,Nigeria,Brazil,Ethiopia,Pakistan,Indonesia,
DemocraticRepublicofCongo,Mexico,andNiger.8
Indiahasthemostchildbridesintheentireworld.Oneofthesechildbrides,
however,triedtofightback.DuliHembromwrotealettertotheprincipalofherschool,
beggingtheschooltohelpherstoptheweddingandintervene.Shewrote,Itookan
oathatthetimeofadmissionthatIwillnotgetmarriedbeforeIturn18.Idonotwishto

"ChildMarriage,"CouncilonForeignRelations,lastmodified2013,accessedApril14,2015,
http://www.cfr.org/peaceconflictandhumanrights/childmarriage/p32096#!/?cid=otr_marketing_usechild_marriage_
Infoguide%23!%2F.
4

Ibid.
Ibid.
7
Ibid.
8
Ibid.
6

getmarriedearly.9 Herfatherrefusedtobackdownandclaimeditwasmuchharderto
marryoffanoldergirl.ThereisnoupdateonDuliandwhatactiontheschoolendedup
takingornottaking.
InJune2011,CynthiaGorneyandStephanieSinclairtraveledtoIndiaand
experiencedasecret,illegalmarriageofthreegirls.ThegirlsnameswereRadhaand
Gora,15and13yearoldsisters,andtheirniece,Rajani,afiveyearold.Theyallgot
marriedinaconjoinedceremony.Rajani,thetoddler,wasntevenawakeforthe
ceremony.ThemarriageswerearrangedbyRadhaandGorasfather,Mr.M.After
interviewstheGorneyconducted,youcanthelpbutlikehimMr.M.Heispresentedina
waythatshowsheisnottryingtopunishhisdaughtersandgranddaughter.Hecares
aboutthem.Thevillagerssaid,Mr.Mhaddonewelltoprotectthischild(Rajani)inthe
meantimebymarkingherpubliclyasmarried.10Itsconflictingtohearbecauseonthe
onehand,thesegirlshumanrightsarebeingviolatedandtheiropportunitiesfor
educationarebeingdiminished,butthenagainthefatheristryingtoputtheminthe
safestplacehepossiblycanintheircommunityandculture.
AnotherareawherechildmarriageisprevalentisMalawi.Onechildwife,
nineteenyearoldElinaV.,wasforcedintomarriagetoa25yearoldmanbyher
grandmotherattheageoffifteen.Themarriageandthefollowingpregnanciescaused
emotionalandpsychologicaldamagetoElina.Shesays,Ihadtolookaftermy
husband,dohousework,dealwithinlaws,andworkonthefarm.Myworsttimewas

NatashaNoman,"A13YearOldGirlWroteaHeartbreakingLetterBeggingNottoBeForcedIntoMarriage,"World.
Mic,lastmodifiedApril22,2015,accessedApril26,2015,
http://mic.com/articles/116252/a13yearoldgirlwroteaheartbreakingletterbeggingnottobeforcedintomarriage.
10

CynthiaGorney,"TooYoungtoWed,"NationalGeographic,lastmodifiedJune2011,accessedMarch29,2015,
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/06/childbrides/gorneytext.
9

whenIwaspregnant.IhadtodoallthisanddealwiththispregnancywhileIwasjusta
childmyself.11Theobviousemotional,psychological,andphysicalstrainchild
marriagehasongirlsisstupendous.
Childbridesarerobbedoftheireducations,childhoods,andfeelingofsafety.
Theirbasichumanrightsareviolatedandtheyhavenocontroloverit.Theyhaveno
sourceofprotection.Wehavetoworkasaglobalcommunitytoendchildmarriages
andprotectthechildreninmarriages.

AgnesOdhiambo,"Dispatches:PreventingChildMarriageinMalawi,"HumanRightsWatch,lastmodifiedFebruary
25,2015,accessedMarch25,2015,
http://www.hrw.org/news/2015/02/25/dispatchespreventingchildmarriagemalawi.
11