Child Marriage

Marriage is â€Å"the institution whereby men and women are joined in a special kind of social and legal dependence for the purpose of founding and maintaining a family† (Marriage 729). The fact is, marriage, to most of society, is something much more than that. To some, marriage is the uniting of their souls; to others, it is merely an escape from their fear, their pain, and their agony. The sad truth about it is that many of those marriages will end in divorce. So how do couples know if what they have will last forever? It is impossible to know for sure. No one can tell them that they definitely have what it takes to make a marriage last. Marriage is about compromise and understanding. It is also about give and take. If one party in the marriage is unwilling to give, and only takes, the marriage will be short lived. Child marriage is a violation of human rights whether it happens to a girl or a boy, but it represents perhaps the most prevalent form of sexual abuse and exploitation of girls. The harmful consequences include separation from family and friends, lack of freedom to interact with peers and participate in community activities, and decreased opportunities for education. Child marriage can also result in bonded labour orenslavement,commercial sexual exploitation and violence against the victims. government commitment and capacity the role of government and civil-society institutions is to develop and implement systems to prevent or discourage this practice. Government action is required to review customary and civil law. Because child marriage is closely associated with poverty, government commitment to poverty reduction is likely to lead to a decrease in child marriages. Legislation and enforcement Governments need to establish 18 as the legal age of marriage for girls, as well as boys, and ensure its implementation. Promoting birth and marriage registration will help enforce these laws. attitudes, customs and practices nding child marriage is challenging because even parents who understand its negative impact may find it hard to resist economic and societal pressures and traditions. Addressing attitudes and customs that promote or condone the practice is vital to changing the acceptable age for marriage. Open discussion Marriage is regarded as a private subject in many cultures. Communication campaigns can help create circumstances in which it can be discussed and traditional beliefs about marriage can be examined. o foster behavioural change from within communities, human rights should be emphasized, particularly those of women – including equality, access to education and freedom from exploitation and discrimination. children’s life skills, knowledge and participation expanding children’s knowledge and empowerment is crucial, particularly for girls. educated girls are less likely to agree to marry at a young age. Attempts to close gender gaps in education can include the establishment of child-friendly schools, cash incentives for parents and the expansion of non-formal education. capacity of families and communities