Abolish Child Marriage

Saurya Aryal

I was a five-month pregnant when I was at your age." I received a startling response while filling up the mother and child health survey form with Sumitra Baniya, a 26-year-old mother of four, and a year and a half old ones in a village of Makawanpur district. 

A proud mother, Baniya is giving her best shot to provide her children with everything she can. She, nevertheless, seemed frazzled from doing what had meant to be her obligation. "I am opting for family planning services." With that, too, keeping this decision out of sight from her 34-year-old husband with whom she eloped at the age of about 19, hinted at the prodigious problems with her physical, reproductive, mental, and psychological and emotional health. 

Twenty-one-year-old Anita Tamang of Tekar village in the same district was flabbergasted seeing a 22-year-old naive taking her interview. Also a mother of an 18-month-old child, she appeared more than perplexed comprehending a month-long residential community health diagnosis practicum being operated in her town by the ones who are almost of her age and even older than her.   "I married my childhood lover with family's consent and am extremely happy." 

Since the erstwhile, the idea of development has been confined in consonance with physical, infrastructural and economic buildout. People must learn that social and cultural aspects are also facets of development. Therefore, the positive alteration of the social comprehension of marriage seems crucial. This social institution certainly is important, but having said that, it is undoubtedly unorthodox compared to living life holistically. 

According to the Nepal Demographic and Health Survey 2016, 17 per cent of adolescent women become mothers or pregnant with their first child. The median age at first marriage for women is 17.9 years.  The statistics allude to the alarming status of child marriage. Child marriage in Nepal has been illegal since 1963. The legal age of marriage in Nepal is 20, making the nation one of the countries with the highest legal marriage age. Nonetheless, the rate of voluntary child marriage is at its peak now. One of the stimulants that has been causing this issue is believed to be the use of social media. 

A sensitive issue on which serious action must be taken is that the child couples are dropping out of their schools to start their conjugal life. This totally hinders holistic development, especially the acquisition of comprehensive sexuality education concerning reproductive health. UNICEF apprises that young married girls have a higher possibility of experiencing violence, abuse, and forced sexual relations due to imbalanced power relationships. They are at more risk of sexually transmitted infections. Moreover, child marriage revitalizes harmful social and gender norms causing gender inequality.

From the eyes of a public health undergraduate, the urgency and gravity of reducing child marriage in communities such as those in Tekar are enormous. This issue requires a coordinated effort from families, societies, local government, organisations, and external stakeholders.  Families and societies can play a crucial role in reducing child marriage by educating their daughters and supporting their aspirations. They can also advocate for policies and programmes that promote girls' rights and access to education. 

Local government can provide substantial uphold by enacting laws and policies that protect girls from child marriage and ensure their access to education, healthcare, and other essential services. Organisations can provide education and awareness programmes that empower girls to make informed life decisions. External stakeholders, such as international organisations, donors, and civil society groups, can provide funding and technical assistance to support local efforts to reduce child marriage.