Girlchild marriage in the nigerian society, causes. Addressing early marriage of young and adolescent girls girls in many resourcepoor countries often have little choice about whom or when they marry. Globally, vulnerable and marginalized rural girls and women continue to bear the health risks and social and economic costs of early and forced marriage, non. Abstract this brief has provided a basic profile of child marriage in nigeria. First of all, if you ask a question if it is legal to force children into marriage, it is actually not legal according to the childs rights act of 2003, where it is pointed out that the age of consent for a child is 18 years old. Insights into early marriage and girls education in northern nigeria. Legality of child marriage in nigeria and inhibitions against realisation of education rights kayode olatunbosun fayokun early marriage forces girls into adulthood before they are emotionally and physically matured, leading to a range of harmful effects on their health, education, economic and social development. Legal issues, complications, implications, prospects and solutions. The region with the highest level of girlbrides in nigeria also repreless than 20.
Insights into early marriage and girls education in northern. Barriers to girlchild education in nigeria especially in the north have been identified as poverty, early marriage, cultural and religious misconceptions as well as teenage pregnancy williams, 1960. Nigeria is the 11th highest nation in the world for percentage of child marriages. Sudan, tanzania, yemen, and zimbabwe have found that early marriage has dire lifelong. In many states in the north, communities adhere to sharia law which does not have a minimum age.
While the age of marriage is generally on the rise, early marriage marriage of children and adolescents below the age of 18 is still widely practiced. Data suggest that in most parts of the world the prevalence is decreasing but the pace is slow. Table 2 odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals from logistic regressions models of the association between child marriage and intimate partner violence in the past 12 months by type of violence, currently married women aged 2029 years who are in their first marriages, 20072010 type of ipvage at first marriage ghana malawi nigeria zambia. The most often used definition for earlychild marriage is marriage that takes place under the age of 18the upper age limit for protection under the 1989 convention on the rights of the child cdc. In most societies early marriage has been practiced from time immemorial. The timing of these changes suggests that social and economic factors strongly influence the marriage market. Association between child marriage and intimate partner. Insights into early marriage and girls education in. A guide for global policy actionappeals to key policy makers to improve the quality of life of millions of girls and young women forced into child marriages. Nigeria has committed to eliminate child, early and forced marriage by 2030 in line with target 5. It limits young girls autonomy, knowledge, resources, and decisionmaking power world bank, 2014. While more women are now marrying at late ages, in many regions, early marriage remains the norms.
Whether it happens to a girl or a boy, early marriage is a violation of human rights. Building resilience and resistance to child, early, and forced. Under the child rights act 2003, the minimum legal age of marriage is 18 years. The children used to be married after attaining puberty that is at around the age of 12 to 16. House of representatives human rights commissions human rights commission. The share of girls marrying very early, before the age of 15, has also declined. Kebbi state, like every other state in northern nigeria, grapples with low girlchild enrolment in school and colleges. Legality of child marriage in nigeria and inhibitions against. A religious viewpoint introduction africa is one continent with several worlds. The purpose of this study is to identify interpret and understand the effect of early marriage on the academic performance of the girlchild with a view to recommending appropriate measure to be taken in order to enhance their welfare in terms of education and thus empower them to become relevant and potential citizens of the contemporary nigeria.
The article refers to a recent article on child marriage in nigeria, published in this journal, as a broad context to examine two issues. Places of worship to be licensed for celebration of marriages. In 2017 in nigeria, 43% of girls are married off before the age of 18. According to an assessment conducted by unicef in 2005, among women ages 15 to 24, 48 percent were married before the age of 18 in south asia, 42 percent in africa, and 29 percent in latin america. Early marriage denies girls their right to make vital decisions about their sexual health and wellbeing. Early marriage is a violation of childrens human rights. As a result, early marriage remains rampant in nigeria centre for reproductive rights, 2016. In that part of the country, it is not uncommon for girls below the age of 12 to get married, and it is going beyond the expectation unlike in other parts of the country. Negative effects of early marriage on girls include early widowhood, the spread of hivaids, prostitution, family problems, medical problems, and suicide bamgbose july 2002, 45. According to le fever, quiroga and murphy 2004 noted that 2050 percent of women in developing countries are marred by the age of 18, with the highest percentages in subshahaian africa and south asia. While early marriage takes many different forms and has various causes, one issue is paramount. In january 2012, the executive board at its th session considered an earlier version of this report. Cohabitation, marriage and remarriage patterns in africa. Early marriage is illegal in most of the places where it occurs.
Acquiring skills to build resistance to early marriage for inschool girls in northwest nigeria. Early marriage refers to any marriage before the legal age of marriage which may differ from country to country the legal age of marriage differs by sex, for example, in some countries in africa it is 18 for males and only 15 for females. Problems and prospects introduction definitions of marriage have become important as the new invidious call the same sex marriage that emanated from the so called. The the causes, consequences and solutions to causes, consequences and solutions tocauses, consequences and solutions to forced forced forced child marriage child marriage child marriage in the developing worldin the developing world testimony submitted to u. In chapter 1, we provide some background information on forced marriage, the gaps and shortcomings of existing literature, and a discussion on how this information is relevant to programmes aimed at eliminating this practice. Africa is home to innumerable tribes, ethnic and social groups, some representing very large populations consisting of millions of people, others are smaller groups of a few thousand.
In nigeria in general, and among northerners hausas in particular, early marriage dates back to the formation of the society itself. One specific health problem associated with early forced marriage that is particularly prevalent in northern nigeria, is vesico vaginal fistulae vvf. Child marriage, defined as marriage of a child under 18 years of age, is a silent and yet widespread practice. Such relationships may be recognized in statutory or customary law as marriages, or may constitute informal unions. This used to be the case for most of the girls who used to be given to men as old as their fathers. Child marriage, domestic violence and choice of partner. The cases continue to occur in spite of the nigerian constitution frowning at early. Nigeria, 51 per cent of women aged 2024 who never used. In the case of nigeria, early marriage is predominant in the northern part of nigeria where northwest and northeast geopolitical zones account for over 45 % of child marriages as well as the highest levels of illiteracy amongst females in the nation 4. Early marriage in nigeria causes consequences and solution.
I am convinced that the national strategy on ending child marriage will promote and contribute to the protection of the rights of all children, both those affected by child marriage as well as those at risk. Under the marriage act 1990 the minimum legal age of marriage 21 years for girls and boys, although they are able to marry before this with written consent from a parent or guardian. Child marriages in india the red elephant foundation december 20 e 4 introduction child marriage refers to the marriage of a child younger than 18 years old,1 in accordance to article 1 of the convention on the right of the child. In many parts of the world parents encourage the marriage of their daughters while they are still children in hopes that the marriage will benefit them both financially and socially, while also. Today, over 60 million marriages include girls under the age of 18 years. For instance, in bolivia, almost as many girls in union are using only traditional contraception 27 per cent as are using modern contraceptive methods 25 per cent. Prevalence of forced marriage in correspondence with the research directorate, uju peace okeke, a lawyer and sexualandreproductiverights activist, indicated that there is a high incidence of forced marriage in nigeria okeke 26 oct. Pdf early marriage and its implications on the nigerian economy.
Problems and challenges of girlchild education in nigeria. Progress is most dramatic when it comes to the marriage of girls under 15 years of age. Those terrible weeks in their camp 2 ascertain if some, or all, had also been abducted or if they were family members of the insurgents. Legality of child marriage in nigeria and inhibitions against realisation of education rights kayode olatunbosun fayokun obafemi awolowo university, ileife, nigeria early marriage forces girls into adulthood before they are emotionally and physically matured, leading to a range of. Marriage rates rose during, and in the wake of, the two world wars and fell during the great depression. Globally, 1 in 4 young women alive today were married in childhood versus 1 in 3 in the early 1980s. The causes, consequences and solutions to forced child marriage. There are several different laws related to the minimum legal age of marriage in nigeria. Legal issues, complications, implications, prospects and solutions article pdf available january 2014 with,268 reads how we measure reads.
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