CHILD MARRIAGE

Child marriageis a formalmarriageor informal union entered into by an

individual before reaching the age of 18.

The legally prescribedmarriageable agein some jurisdictions is below 18

years, especially in the case of girls; and even when the age is set at 18
years, many jurisdictions permit earlier marriage with parental consent or in
special circumstances, such asteenage pregnancy.

Child marriage is related to childbetrothal, and it includes

civilcohabitationand court approved early marriages afterteenage
pregnancy.

Child marriages were common throughout history for a variety of reasons,

including poverty, insecurity, as well as for political and financial reasons.
Today, child marriage is still fairly widespread in developing countries.

CAUSE FOR CHILD MARRIAGE

Dowry and bride price:Providing a girl with adowryat her marriage is an ancient
practice which continues in some parts of the world. This requires parents to bestow
property on the marriage of a daughter, which is often an economic challenge for
many families. The difficulty to save and preserve wealth for dowry was common.

Persecution, forced migration, and slavery:Social upheavals such as wars, major

military campaigns,forced religious conversion, taking natives asprisoners of
warand converting them into slaves, arrest andforced migrationsof people often
made a suitable groom a rare commodity.

Fear, poverty, social pressures and sense of protection:A sense of social insecurity
has been a cause of child marriages across the world. For example, in Nepal,
parents fear likely social stigma if grown-up adult girls (past 18 years) stay at home.
Other fear of crime such as rape, which not only would be traumatic but may lead
to less acceptance of the girl if she becomes victim of a crime.

CHILD TRAFFICKING

Child trafficking, according toUNICEFis defined as any person under 18 who

is recruited, transported, transferred, harboured or received for the purpose
of exploitation, either within or outside a country.There have been many
cases where children just disappear overnight, as many as one every eight
minutes, according to theNational Crime Records Bureau.

Children are taken from their homes to be bought and sold in the market.
InIndia, there is a large number of children trafficked for various reasons
such aslabour, begging, and sexual exploitation. Because of the nature of this
crime; it is hard to track; therefore making it impossible to have exact figures
regarding this issue. India is a prime area for child trafficking to occur, as
many of those trafficked are from, travel through or destined to go to India.

CAUSE FOR CHILD TRAFFICKING

Economic deprivation, conditions, lack of employment opportunities, social status,

and political uprisings.

Many of the families in India are unable to afford the basic necessities of life, which
forces the parents to sell their children off to gangs, and the gangs to exploit them.

The fact is that children, particularly girls, are more vulnerable than adults, making
them an easier target and a commodity for gangs.

They are looked upon as more expendable than the rest of the population which
makes them available as objects to be sold.

Another cause of sexual exploitation is that people around the world find pleasure
in the outcomes of this abuse, therefore causing a demand for it. Political uprisings
lead to a demand for soldiers, and as children are more vulnerable, they are forced
to conscript and use their bodies as sacrifices.