Child Marriage (History, Definition and Causes)

Underage Mothers (Child Marriage)

Historically, child marriage was common around the world, the average life expectancy did not exceed 50 years old so it was seen as a better way to reproduce through child marriage. The practice began to be questioned in the 20th century, with the age of individuals' first marriage increasing in many countries and most countries increasing the minimum marriage age

In ancient and medieval societies, it was common for girls to be betrothed at or even before puberty. As Friedman claims, "arranging and contracting the marriage of a young girl were the undisputed prerogatives of her father in ancient Israel." Most girls were married before the age of 15, often at the start of their puberty. In the Middle Ages the age at marriage seems to have been around puberty throughout the Jewish world.

Ruth Lamdan writes: “The numerous references to child marriage in the 16th- century. In this context, it is important to remember that in halakha, the term ‘minor’ refers to a girl under twelve years and a day. A girl aged twelve and a half was already considered an adult in all respects.” In Ancient Greece, early marriage and motherhood for girls was encouraged. Even boys were expected to marry in their teens. In Ancient Rome, girls married above the age of 12 and boys above 14.In the Middle Ages, under English civil laws that were derived from Roman laws, marriages before the age of 16 were common. In Imperial China, child marriage was the norm.

Child marriage is defined as a formal marriage or informal union entered into by an individual before reaching a certain age, specified by some global organizations as high as the age of 18. The legally prescribed marriageable age in 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 as teenage pregnancy. In certain countries, even when the legal marriage age is 18, cultural traditions take priority over legislative law. Child marriage affects both boys and girls, though the overwhelming majority of those affected are girls, most of whom are in poor socioeconomic situations.

Child marriage is related to child betrothal. It includes civil cohabitation and court approved early marriages after teenage pregnancy. In many cases, only one marriage-partner is a child, usually the female. 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, such as parts of Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, West Asia, Latin America, and Oceania. The incidence of child marriage has been falling in most parts of the world. The countries with the highest observed rates of child marriages below the age of 18 are Niger, Chad, Mali, Bangladesh, Guinea and the Central African Republic, with a rate above 60%. They were the countries with child marriage rates greater than 20% below the age of 15, according to 2003-2009 surveys. The male genders are sometimes married as children, although according to UNICEF, "girls are disproportionately the most affected”. Research on the effects of child marriage on underage boys is small. As of September 2014, 156 million living men were married as underage boys. Child marriage has lasting consequences on girls, from their health, education and social development perspectives. These consequences last well beyond adolescence. One of the most common causes of death for girls aged 15 to 19 in developing countries was pregnancy and child birth. Niger is estimated as the country having the highest rate of child marriage in the world; about 3 out of 4 girls marry before their 18th birthday.

Causes of Child Marriage

According to UNFPA, factors that promote and reinforce child marriage include:

1.      Poverty and economic survival strategies

2.      Gender inequality

3.      Sealing land or property deals or settling disputes

4.      control over sexuality and protecting family honour

5.      Tradition and culture;

6.      Insecurity, particularly during war, famine or epidemics.

7.      Other factors include family ties in which marriage is a means of consolidating powerful relations between families.