At the root of child marriage is poverty and with poverty comes a hard to brake cycle which keeps girls marginalized. The marginalization of girls brings with it higher levels of illiteracy, lower rates of education, and poor health care, all of which cycles back into poverty. Thus what can be done to end the cycle? Targeting child marriage at its roots is the only way forward, for education alone on the detriment of child marriage will not break the cycle for those families which feel they have little to no choice to ensure their families stability, as seen in previous posts on the increasing levels of child marriage in Afghanistan due to poppy debts.
One in seven girls in developing countries, with the exception of China, is married before their 15th birthday. Most common in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, child marriage also continues in other parts of the world, including South America, Middle East and among the Roma populations of Europe.
Why are childhood marriages so common and desired? Early marriage and feel the benefits out way any undesirable consequences. The main reason is that with early marriage continues is due to the increased economic and social benefits that it often provides, as the family of the bride may believe this is the one way to see that their child is cared for and ease the economic burden on the rest of the family. Despite any perceived economic gain or social benefits' of early marriage, the risks and long-term harm on the child and the community far outweigh them. A girl who is married young is at a greater risk of abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, maternal mortality and have higher illiteracy levels.
The causes and implications of child marriage, are complex and interconnected, thus there is no simple solution in eradicating child marriage. To see an end to child marriage we must see an end to gender discrimination, and ensure that all communities are not just educated regarding the effects of child marriage, but see that sustainable solutions for economic prosperity are put in place. Efforts to end child marriage must include making education available for girls, seeing families have alternatives to paying debts, providing health education, and eliminating poverty, are all equally needed to see an eradication of child marriage and all forms of gender discrimination.
See previous posts for more on Child Marriage, including The Global Cost of Child Marriage.