Part 1

“An idea built the wall of separation between males and females, and an idea attempts to

crumble it to dust.” In Guyana, women’s rights are actively being sought out. I mean sure,

women are no longer confined to the kitchen; they can seek employment, education,

everything they’ve been denied for since recorded history. But, at the very beginning,

territories like India, Mongolia, and Bangladesh to name a few, violate what we now

acknowledge as women’s right by inducing child marriages, neglecting women by relegating

them to a sub-class of human existence, where they are denied all basic rights to equality, a

formal education, are sexually exploited by men and are groomed by their maternal figures

from birth to serve men. These practices still occur today, especially in rural and indigenous

areas of Guyana, and are deeply rooted in religious and cultural influences, but more

importantly, the socio-economic standards of these regions.

Part 2

These socio-economic standards include food and housing insecurity, family income and

poor educational facilities. This issue further extends politically and socially. On the political

spectrum, the constitution of Guyana legalises child marriage at a minimum of 16, and these

families recognize that law. However, 4% of girls are still married off before their 15 th

birthday and 30% are married to much older men before their 18 th birthday. These laws that

make it acceptable for marriage below the legal age of adulthood are precisely what will

continue to make child marriages in these regions as nothing less to a taboo. In addition to

socio-economic factors, another significant consideration is the stigma associated with

teenage pregnancy in rural communities. It is widely believed that becoming pregnant during

adolescence is akin to the end of a teenager’s life. When a teenage girl becomes pregnant, she
is often pressured by her family and societal expectations to marry the father, regardless of

her wishes. She in this instance, has no rights at all.

This situation is particularly prevalent among teenagers under 16, who are forced to

cohabitate with their male counterparts until they reach the minimum legal marriage age of

16. This coercion is driven not only by the fear of shame but also by the desire to maintain

the family’s honor and societal norms. These violate a child’s right to be free from coercion,

abuse of power, and the ability to make an informed consent on who they can marry.

Part 3

Now, I’d like to share with you a case study about a young girl in East Berbice, who

navigated through early cohabitation at the age of 14.

Parnia’s family had limited economic opportunities and constrained educational access. Her

parents, seeking financial relief, decided to engage her in a cohabitational relationship with a

25-year-old man within the community, named Anil. Now of course, this decision was

influenced by the belief that Parnia’s union with Anil could alleviate their economic burdens.

But it more so had to do with the cultural traditions in the community which helped to

encourage early cohabitation.

Of course, this proposed serious health risks for Parnia, since exposure to early pregnancies

has statistically proven to be associated with higher rates of maternal mortality, low birth

weight, increased chances of preterm labour and infertility at later ages. Additionally, the

mental state of Parnia was not taken into consideration during the time by her parents.
Part 4

What was more concerning was that Parnia’s new partner took advantage of her and the

family. He often engaged her in sexual activity with himself and friends against her will, and

when the parents had found out, they decided to not do anything because at this time they

were doing decent, from his money but not to the point they felt to revoke the relationship.

Now, replace Parnia with a boy, the family would have never thought about cohabitating him

early with an elderly woman. Why? Because he’s a male, who has all the rights the world can

offer him. It’s a very troubling situation to hear, especially when you consider globally

established events such as International Women’s Day, which were specifically introduced

for instances like this where the rights of girls and women are pushed aside as if they are non-

existent.

Part 5

Education is a basic human right and a huge necessity today concerning how rapidly our

world is advancing.

There’s a really beautiful quote that I believe would be most appropriate to share with you all

today. It goes “The hand that rocks the cradle, the procreator, the mother of tomorrow, a

woman shapes the destiny of civilization. Such is the tragic irony of faith, that a beautiful

creation such as a girl child, is today one of the gravest concerns facing humanity.” End of

quote.

It is a fact that girls have the wit and power to change the world, and yet today girls are more

likely than boys, never to step foot in a classroom despite of all the efforts and progress made
in the last two decades. On a global statistical level, more than 15 million girls of primary

school age will never learn to read or write compared to 10 million boys.

Primary school! It’s the beginning of our future. Over the last decade, the United Nations

International Children’s Emergency Fund or UNICEF for short, has enforced laws to protect

children, especially victims of war and genocide, sexual violence and exploitation,

displacement, and child marriages, but there is still so much work to do. I’d like to take this

time to point out that a UNICEF survey conducted in 2021 concluded that Guyana has over

78, 000 child brides, with 1 in 3 girls marrying before their 18th birthday. These rates in

Guyana have remained consistent since 2003 and exhibit no indication of declining in the

near future.

Part 6

Educating a girl is not just about enhancing her family’s prospects; it significantly benefits

communities and economies as a whole. Her education, in turn, improves the living

conditions for all. It’s a straightforward fact that if we don’t stand up for those women who

are marginalized by cultural and religious norms, no one else will.

In concluding this presentation, I’d like to emphasize that we encourage and advocate that

legal bodies address these overarching socio-economic issues by embracing affordable

educational access in rural areas, generating additional employment opportunities within the

region, and ensuring a consistent provision of affordable food. In doing so, they can aspire to

achieve notable reductions in the prevalence of child brides in Guyana.

Once again, it’s our duty as the youth of Guyana to advocate for those silenced by societal

taboos and have a voice for the voiceless when we celebrate International Women’s Day on

the 8th of March 2024. Thank you.