Child brides of Africa
Child marriages are most common in African and South Asian countries where poverty, traditional taboos about premarital sex is dominant ideologies among these people. Women in Ethiopia are subjected to various forms of violence such as forced marriages, to sustain family honour and to respect customs and traditions within their culture. Parents also resort to early marriages as a means of protection for their daughters. Although there are laws which condone early marriages, religion and poverty play significant factors to the abandonment of these laws. There are many reasons why African and South Asian countries still practice early child marriages. In cultures where upholding the family honour is the sole responsibility of the women, virginity plays a dominant role in early marriages. Dr. Paula Heinonen states that "in some rural areas of Ethiopia where the cult of virginity persists, a girl's status and reputation as well as that of her family rest on her being a virgin at marriage." These traditional ideologies articulate that once a girl looses her virginity, or has a child out of wed-lock, even at the age of 12, she is classified a women. Under these circumstances the justification of early marriages can be examin
It turns into a one-way transaction, a clear-cut payment. " In some cases girls are pulled out of school at a young age in order to be married, which isolates them socially from the world. The disadvantages that these young girls endure, not only affects them physiologically, but it has detrimental effects on them physically. By doing this, the father can ensure the integrity of the arrangement. Nobody would want to marry her later. Mikhail reports in her article that the convention of the Rights of Child stresses 'the rights of children to have their views taken into account in matters that concern them' (46). A neighbor of Maiga says that "forcing girls to marry at such an age protects them from immortality, strengthens clan relationships, and honors our culture. For example in order to maintain the status of the family, parents choose early marriage as a way of preventing girls from initiating into sexual relations with men unfamiliar to them. In these international statements, it is evident that child marriages are frond upon, but religious traditions are significant factors to the abandonment of theses laws. He also furthers his argument by stating that "for every woman who dies in childbirth, 30 more will suffer injuries, infections, and disabilities, some of which will stay with them for the rest of their lives. " (10) Although these numbers are not accurate, it gives you a brief insight to the perils involved in early childbearing. Parents also use child marriages as a form of protecting, to ensure virginity at the time of marriage. In Most situations the husband is a complete stranger to the child, meeting him only a few times. In some situations fathers will take their children out of school so they can control who their daughters socialize with. " In many of these countries taboos pertaining to premarital sex are seen as 'traditional' attitudes and customs which subordinate women and young girls.
Common topics in this essay:
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Karen Fanning,
Yen Sudanese,
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Hawke UNICEF,
Paula Heinonen,
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Women Children,
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asian countries,
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Acceptance Essays
