Child marriage

Child marriage typically pertains to two social phenomena of either marrying a young child to an adult or a form of arranged marriage in which the parents of two children arrange for a future marriage. The practice of child marriage is deeply embedded in human culture. In Ancient Rome, women were under the rule of their fathers and were usually arranged to marriage at the young age of twelve or fourteen. This was done to carry on family bloodline and assure economical and political stance. Child marriage continued until the middle ages and even to this modern day, early marriage is still widely observed in Egypt, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Pakistan, India, the Middle East and at a lesser degree in England and he United States.

Causes of child marriage

There are various reasons to the practice of child marriage in these nations. Most common are cultural, social, economic, religious or a mix of these factors. Whatever it maybe, one thing is obvious, the tradition results in the imprisonment of children in marriages without their consent that even leads to a cascade of lifetime miseries.

Child marriage: A faulty cultural belief

In some cultures, adolescent girls marrying at a young age is said to be a way of protecting her sexuality and honor by marrying as a virgin. This is a result of unfair beliefs that poses pressure on young girls becoming child brides.

Child marriage: A surviving social discrimination

Despite the dawn of new age, apparently some forms of social discriminations have remain in the society and child marriage is obviously one. Child marriages show devaluing of girls and boys by robbing their right to decide with their own free will.

Child marriage: A way out of poverty?

One very disheartening cause of youthful marriages is the desire of the family to escape poverty. Poor families sell their children into wealthy husband to be who will settle the debts or gain monetary values in hope to get out of poverty cycle.

Anti-child marriage advocacy: An ongoing battle

Despite the society’s call to end the unfair and vicious practice of child marriage, we still bear witness to countless cases around the world. The primary reason is that nations who allow early marriage are reluctant in adopting the international campaigns of liberating the community from the binds of faulty social beliefs and practices. This results to inadequate laws to oppose such a tradition. If there ever is a law against it, the government does not impose clear punishment on the offenders. Worse, some laws upheld by a nation even promotes child marriage. Such case is giving families their freedom to form own familial laws. This becomes a good venue to impose child weddings.

With these concerns, the entire community should continue its vigilance and intense opposition on child marriage to protect the children and their future against the harsh practices of the yester years that goes on this modern days.