Child marriage: Complacence can be dangerous
Bangladesh’s has made visible advancement in improving the quality of women’s lives. The rate of women's education increased significantly over the past two decades. The number of male and female students in primary and secondary level is almost equal. Despite not decreasing to a satisfactory level, the number of child marriages fell significantly in the country. However, the rise of child marriages during pandemic is quite alarming. A report titled ‘COVID-19: A threat to progress against child marriage’ published by United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), said the closure of schools, economic pressures, service disruption, pregnancies and parental deaths have put the most vulnerable girls at risk of child marriage.
Tomoo Hozumi, UNICEF Representative in Bangladesh, said Bangladesh ranked fourth among the countries with highest number of child marriage despite its progress in recent years. Covid-19 has put thousands of girls' lives in danger. The reason for this disaster has been identified as closure of schools, detachment from friends and voluntary activities and growing poverty. Tomoo Hozumi correctly said, “The girl children will lose education, health and their future if necessary steps are not taken immediately”. The girls who are married in an early age suffer their entire lives. Under-age girls are more prone to domestic violence. Child marriage can end up in unplanned pregnancy that leads the girls to death.
Other research institutions and media also revealed shocking reports of child marriage. In the past 10 years, marriage rates of under-aged girls reduced by 15 per cent worldwide. The rate declined by one in every five girls from one in every four girls at the time. That means, in this period almost 25 million girl children were saved from child marriage.
Notably, the world leaders committed to end child marriage by 2030 following the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal. Prime minister Sheikh Hasina promised to bring down the marriage rate of girls under 15 to zero, girls from above 15 to 18 by one third by 2021 and eliminate child marriage entirely by 2041 at World Girl Summit in the UK in 2014.
The government has enacted new law to prevent child marriage. The law have flaws though. But in Bangladesh there is a huge gap between enacting a new law and its implementation. Child marriage occurs due to parents and society’s lack of awareness.
According to the law, a girl cannot be married before 18 and a boy before 21. Many parents marry off their daughters thinking of their safety. They have to understand that they are pushing the girl into more danger by marrying her at an early age.
Whether the number of child marriages will decrease or not depends on how the policymakers respond to the warning of the UNICEF representative or how active the administration will be. Besides implementing laws properly, social awareness is must to stop child marriage. Complacence in this regard will usher in danger.