ISSUE BRIEF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

24 MAY 2014

Ending Child Marriage in India: Good for Girls and for the Global Community
The Problem
For many individuals living in the developing world, life is unfortunately characterized by tumult and instability. New nations are still forming and many struggle to nd stability after the relatively recent struggles for independence. The developing world is increasing in size and strength, but the portrait is not wholly positive. Across the world, millions are affected by the atrocities of war, corruption, poverty, and abuse. Issues such as these negatively affect individuals and the nations which they comprise. For women and girls, the plight is unsurprisingly more oppressive. Not only do they endure the same social, political, economic, and environmental stressors, but in many cases, they do so without a voice. Stripped all too often of their right to humane treatment, autonomy is diminished. Each year, 14 million girls worldwide are married before reaching the age of 18 (Preventing Child Marriage). Currently, it is estimated that close to 60 million girls between the ages of 15 and 19 are already married (Child Marriage and By the Numbers). In other words, one third of the worlds girls are married before the age of 18 and one in nine girls are married before the age of 15 ("Child Marriage Facts and Figures). Within the next decade, the number of married girls under the age of 18 will nearly double. In India, which is ranked globally as the country with the 11th highest rate of child marriages, it is estimated that between 50 and 60% of women are married under the age of 18 (Child Marriage and By the Numbers). The rate of child marriage is signicantly lower for boys, but it does still occur (Centre for Social Research [CSR]). As Figure 1 illustrates, although the rates of child marriage differ across the subcontinent, the practice is widespread.

Figure 1: Rates of child marriage in India by state

*source: CRS

Child marriages negatively affect girls, women, their families, their communities, as well as the global community. Child marriage, which is dened as a marriage in which the bride or the groom is under the age of 18, is associated with impaired mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing. Child marriage is not only still a huge problem that will affect 100 million girls within the next decade; the ripple effects of this problem are wide-reaching. This issue is important on a human rights basis, and it is also relevant to girls communities and to the rest of the world.

Figure 2: Top 20 countries with the highest rates of child marriage

Source: ICRW

Background: Why does the practice persist?

Across the world, the antique practice of child marriage continues to be perpetuated into today due to a mix of prevalent socioeconomic factors and due to the potency of cultural traditions. India, in particular, is a culture steeped in tradition. Child marriage is just one of the many traditions that has been passed on from one generation to the next. While rates of child marriage have declined slightly, the practice is still very prevalent, especially in poorer communities (Child Marriage and Poverty).

Lack of Education In most impoverished or rural communities, the persistence of child marriage can be explained in part by considering the lack of educational opportunities. In poorer communities, schooling for boys, as well as for girls and for adults, may be too costly, unavailable, or irrelevant, in terms of direct and practical applications, to the type of work done in that community. A lack of education is likely to result in a widespread ignorance of the issues with marrying and with bearing children at a young age. Furthermore, child marriage may appear to offer immediate A royal child marriage in 1900 nancial benets to families of a lower socioeconomic status.

Economic Viability In India, a female is valued most for her reproductive potential and for her ability to be a good wife and mother. Marrying off ones daughter at a young age ensures that she will be able to fulll this role, at least in theory. Additionally, the marriage of a girl can be seen as a transference of property. Her natal home no longer frets about spending time and money to feed, to clothe, or to educate her; after her marriage, she is effectively under the custody of her husband and his family. In many situations, the grooms family stands to gain nancially as well. In India, especially in poorer and more rural regions, it is traditional for a girls family to pay a dowry or bride price to the grooms family. In this way, a new daughter-inlaw, regardless of her age, can function as a source of income ("Why Does Child Marriage Happen?"). In terms of paying the dowry, the girls family may see child marriage as a way to avoid paying a large dowry. Younger and less educated brides can be accompanied by a payment of a smaller sum. Compared to girls living in more fortunate households, girls living in poorer households are around two times as likely to be married before the age of 18 (Child Marriage and Poverty). Because of the nancial nature that often characterizes marriage in India and the economic viability of the tradition, child marriage maintains its appeal in less afuent areas (CSR, 8). Insurance Policy In India and in other countries where child marriage persists, it is often acknowledged as a way to ensure for a daughters future. In parts of Asia and Africa where war and human trafcking are particularly large problems, marriage can ensure a girls safety. Under the care of a new husband or family, it is thought that a girl will be protected from physical or sexual assault ("Why Does Child Marriage Happen?"). Even in areas not heavily characterized by warfare or instability, a girls chastity is intimately related to her worth. A sixteen year old boy pictured with his much younger bride
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When girls are married at a young age, families can be more condent the bride has not been devalued by premarital indelity (Roudi-Fahim, 2). For a husband and for the husbands family, assurance of chastity comes as a form of insurance for future paternity certainty. For a girl and for her family, marrying at a young age to ensure chastity is a form of preserving family honor. In a society such as Indias which is heavily inuenced by rigid social structure, honor is important.

An Expression of Honor Much of India is stratied by caste, as well as by age and by gender. As with other patrilineal cultures, elders and males garner the most power and demand the most respect. Additionally, because Indian culture is characterized as being collectivist, one is expected to act as with the familys best interest in mind. For girls upon which child marriage is imposed, to defy the wedding wishes or to be unchaste is seen as an act of dishonor upon ones family.
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In India, honor is related to purity. The threat of social ostracism for not adhering to the accepted practices is evidentially enough to keep the practice relevant (Malhotra, 5). In this case, straying from the ancient practice of child marriage is a deance of honor and of tradition.

Issues with Child Marriage

Child marriage is generally accepted as a human rights violation. Even countries such as India, along with many other nations that have a high rate of child marriages, have signed and enacted legislation that acknowledges the tradition as a violation of rights. Many countries, including India, have also made it illegal. Nevertheless, the practice continues and millions of children are exposed to high rates of violence, along with other mental and physical dangers, and the cycle of poverty is perpetuated.

Figure3 3: Young Womens Experience of Domestic Violence in Bihar and Jharkhand, India - by age Source: ICRW

Child Marriage and Violence Girls who are married before the age of 18 are at an increased risk of experiencing domestic violence (Figure 3). They are twice as likely to report being beaten, slapped, or threatened by their husbands than girls who are married later. Child brides also are three times as likely to report being forced to have sex without their consent than girls who marry later. In general, young married girls feel as though they are less able to talk to their husbands about the use of contraceptives or about childbearing in general (Child Marriage and Domestic Violence).

These statistics reect a lack of autonomy and an intensely subordinate position given to young brides, leaving them more susceptible to sexually transmitted diseases, which are harmful to them as well as to future offspring. Young girls are not only biologically more susceptible, but they are also at an increased likelihood of contraction when married to older men and when they have little knowledge about the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases (Roudi-Fahim, 4). Adding insult to injury, young girls have little pragmatic control over the couples sexual interactions. Studies have also shown that symptoms of child sexual abuse and of resultant post-traumatic stress disorder are prevalent among child brides (Child Marriage and Domestic Violence).

Child Marriage and Health Child marriage is often times both mentally and physically scarring. Because of violence and abuse, a girls self esteem is weakened. Because of the physical abuse that may occur within a marriage, as well as because of the damaging process of childbirth, girls and their future children often suffer. !

In many developing nations, pregnancy, childbirth, and related complications are the leading causes of mortality for girls ages 15 to 19 (Child Marriage and Health). Compared to women in their twenties, girls under the age of 15 are ve times more likely to die from maternal causes (Roudi-Fahim, 4). Young girls are also at a heightened risk for infection, disabilities, or injuries resulting form childbirth (Maternal Health). Childbearing in adolescent years not only is dangerous for the mother, but the health of the child is also jeopardized (Child Marriage and Health). Children are more likely to be born prematurely with a low birth rate, both of which are conditions that lead to improper development throughout the course of life (Roudi-Fahim, 4). For infants born to mothers under the age of 18, the likelihood of dying within the rst year of life is 60% higher than that of a child born to a mother older than the age of 19 (Malhotra, 6).

Child Marriage Continues the Cycle of Poverty The persistence of child marriage is closely related with economic causes. Ironically, child marriage is both caused by and a cause of poverty in many of the places where it occurs. Child marriage occurs most frequently in poorer communities. Many individuals in these communities are denied access to education, and girls are seen as an economic burden*. Families born out of child marriages are likely to live in poverty and to raise the next generation of boys in girls in poverty as well (Malhotra, 8). As child marriages continue to occur, efforts to reduce poverty remain ineffective.

The Current Situation

Laws are in place. Since 1929, child marriage has been labeled as a practice worth of restrain or of limitations in India. India ratied the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1992. While the convention does not explicitly forbid child marriage, it does maintain that children must be free from discrimination, that government policies must be based on the best interest of the child, that children should be able to survive and to develop to their full potential, and that childrens needs should be Because child marriage is illegal, ceremonies are often held heard ("The Convention on the Rights of the secretly under the cover of nightfall. Child). The convention also grants children the right to education and protection from being separated from their parents agains their will (CRS, 16). Through the treaty, governments pledge to protect children from harmful practices, of which child marriage certainly is an example. In 2007, Indian government attempted to address the shortcomings of the 1929 law by making child marriage illegal under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act. In accordance with this law, the age of consent is 21 for males and 18 for females, and the minimum legal age for marriage is 18. The supreme court has also stipulated that all marriages must be registered (Child Marriage, Laws & Civil Society Action).

Still, the tradition persists. Despite the fact that India has signed a number of laws and conventions that make the practice illegal, it persists nonetheless. In India, tradition runs very deep, and social and economic factors are strong inuences that keep child marriage alive. The lack of resources to inform citizens about laws and the lack of commitment from legislators to enforce the laws also contributes to the continuation of the practice (Child Marriage, Laws & Civil Society Action). All too often, child marriages are performed in secret and authorities are often not alerted. In cases where child marriage has been reported, there is a recorded history of brutal retaliation against the law-abiding citizen (CSR, 12).

Ending Child Marriage in India Concerns the United States

It is no small secret that India is growing rapidly. By 2050, India is projected to boast 1.6 million inhabitants, surpassing the predicted numbers for both China and the United States (India Population to Be Biggest, 2004). Though the worlds largest democracy has been able to endure throughout the global economic crisis, the picture of prosperity is by no means inclusive of all Indians. In much of the country, the high rates of growth have been accompanied by increased poverty in inequality for many marginalized groups, including women. Such rampant inequality and poverty undermines positive growth in many parts of the subcontinent. When Indias Human Development Index rating, a more descriptive report of the state of the people in the nation, is adjusted for inequality loses 28% of its value (About India, 2011).
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Each year, the United States spends around one percent of the federal budget, or $23 billion, on foreign aid (Kramer, 2013). While this spending does lead to positive change, practices such as child marriage continue to undermine further, more impressive change (Malhotra, 8). Child marriage creates instability not only within individual girls, but in their families and in their communities as well. Even when well researched, well planned, and well implemented developmental programs are introduced into environments with conditions such as those surrounding the practice of child marriage, such as violence, unhealthiness, and poverty, the results are unsustainable for the long term. To make investments in the growth of India that yield a high payoff, whether internal or foreign, social stability must be a goal.

Investing in Women Increases the Stability of the Nation

Eradicating destabilizing practices such as child marriage would not only improve the mental and physical wellbeing of millions of girls in India, but it would also improve the quality of living for all citizens throughout the country. Investing in womens rights through educational opportunities pays dividends forward to the community.

Educating girls deters child marriage ! In India, increased school enrollment has lead to a decline in marriage among girls below the age of 14 (Child Marriage and Education). After just seven years of schooling, girls marry an average of four years later and have 2.2 fewer children (The Problem).

Girls with secondary schooling are up to six times less likely to be married than girls with little or no education (Girls Education) (Figure 4). Logic follows these statistics. If girls are enrolled in school, it is unlikely that they are also fullling the roles of wife and mother. Additionally, the availability of education indicates local social support for the initiative.

Educating girls improves maternal and newborn health Education exposes women and girls to potentials beyond motherhood, but it can also teach them about their bodies, Figure 4: Percent of Girls Who Marry Before the Age of 18, about the importance of prenatal care, by Region and Years of Schooling Source: ICRW and about the process of childbirth. For each year of schooling received by a girl, the rate of infant mortality for her potential children is reduced by 10%. When mothers have completed just ve years of schooling, the mortality rate for their children under the age of ve is cut in half (Girls Education). Educated mothers can provide better care for their children through improved nutrition, healthcare, and immunization. Educated mothers are 50% more likely to immunize their children than are uneducated mothers (The Problem). Through education, the lives of children are improved, and the country experiences a stabilizing decrease in the rates of malnutrition, of infant and maternal mortality, and of HIV (The Problem). Educating girls breaks the cycle of poverty Educating girls has been shown to yield substantial returns in terms of poverty reduction and economic growth. According to the World Bank, every one percent increase in the rate of women with secondary education boosts a countrys annual per capita income growth rate by about .3% (Girls Education). Analysis shows that one dollar in the hands of woman is worth about the same as ten dollars in the hands of a man (The Problem). Women spend between 50 and 60% more of their earned income on their families than do men (Girls Education). Educated women and girls are also more likely to send their children to school, thus breaking the cycle of ignorance and poverty (Girls Education). Allowing girls to delay their marriages gives them more autonomy. With a greater awareness acquired through education, girls are more likely to resist domestic violence and harmful traditions perpetuated by society. Educated and empowered girls also exhibit increased control over childrearing, which can slow population growth, increase productivity, and elevate income for individual family units, for communities, and for the nation (Girls Education). Furthermore, more stable democracy thrives in places where women are educated and politically and socially active (The Problem).

Child couple in wedding garb, India

A Call for Awareness

Any proposed solution should be founded upon one assumption: to enact change, efforts must be collaborative. Internal and external program planners need to have a solid understanding of the issues surrounding the practice of child marriage and of the factors that have allowed it to persist. After establishing a base of knowledge on the subject, effective plans can be drawn and enacted. The support of society is also needed. Indians from all backgrounds, social classes, and genders need to be aware of incidences of the practice, of its negative consequences, and of alternative measures. Through education about the negatives of child marriage for girls and for the nation, attitudes can start to be readjusted. Most importantly, the support of inuential gures such as parents, teachers, religious leaders, legislators, and law enforcement is needed. Often times, incentive is needed to change tradition. By discussing the counterproductive effects of child marriage for girls and for the nation, incentive can be established. Furthermore, unrest from the public will act as a large motivating factor. Discontentment for current practices indicates that change is necessary and worthwhile.
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The rst step in affecting change is to raise awareness of the issue. Because this practice affects millions of girls directly, along with billions of people indirectly, ending child marriage is an important and relevant goal.

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Page Image 2: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki Credit File:Marriage_of_H.H_Sri_Krishnaraja_Wadiyar_IV_and_Rana_ Prathap_Kumari_of_Kathiawar.jpg Page 1: http://weddings.iloveindia.com/for-bride/bridal-henna-designs.html Page 3: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/images/stories/large/2012/10/12/513420021.jpg Page 2: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki Page 5: http://tooyoungtowed.org File:Marriage_of_H.H_Sri_Krishnaraja_Wadiyar_IV_and_Rana_Prathap_Kumari_of_Kathiawar.jpg Page 8: http://www.voanews.com/content/un_urges_end_to_child_marriages/1524977.html Page 3: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/images/stories/large/2012/10/12/513420021.jpg

Written by Alyssa Gurklis for ENGL138T, 2014