The Girl Child marriage is becoming too rampant today in spite of the campaign launched against it in different quarters by the Civil Liberty Organizations, the NGOs and a host of other humanitarian groups. The legal minimum age for marriage under a number of ratified laws is 18. In spite of this legal provision, child marriage is still widely practiced in some parts of the world. In Nigeria, the cases of child marriage are very much ubiquitous in the northern part of the country. Early marriage is a violation of childʼs right which must be put to an end.

Research has revealed that a vast majority of child marriages are arranged by families. In most cases, the spouses of these child brides are older men, an average of 12 years older than the girls. The young brides whose reproductive organs are not yet matured would most likely be forced into having sexual intercourse with the much older husbands, these has severe negative health consequences and implication as they are not physically, psychologically, and sexually matured and prepared for marriage.

Girls married before the age of 18 have low educational attainment; their childhood is cut short as they are presented with the responsibilities of being a wife and mother. Child birth for these young girls becomes a very difficult task and a risk to their life because their reproductive organs are not fully developed to withstand such rigour. In most cases, the girls experience obstructed labor due to their small pelvic size which results to Vesico-Vaginal Fistula (VVF). The leakage of urine and faces through the vagina which could lead to death, in some case some the girl is forsaken by the husband, left alone to face her predicament and fend for herself and the baby.

Young married girls are at the risk of contracting HIV/AIDS since there is likelihood that they would not have been screened. Furthermore, they are more likely to experience domestic violence due to the fact that they are underage before going into marriage. Most of the house-hold decisions are made by the men; the women have little or no say in decision making as they are made to believe that women should take instructions from men and this under agedness accounts more for this. 

One of the major factors underpinning early marriage is poverty, where poverty is acute parents regard young girls as economic burden and their marriage to much older rich men becomes very seductive. Some religious and traditional practices encourage early marriage, parents fear that their daughter may get pregnant out of wedlock and the only way to prevent that is to give her away in marriage at an early age.

One challenge as it were is the need for education and enlightenment programme to be encouraged in order to put an end to child marriage. The rural dwellers and illiterates are most hit and there is a need for consistent and concerted awareness programme targeted at this vulnerable group in order to educate them and to disabuse their minds with regards to the girl child marriage and must be enlightened on the consequences and health hazards associated with early marriage. This could be done in collaboration with religious, women, community leaders and other relevant Civil Liberty Organizations and NGOs.

For those who where married at a young age, government and nongovernmental agencies should create more educational opportunities, provide reproductive health and HIV/AIDS prevention information and services to the girls in the urban and rural areas. Parents should be enlightened on the need to educate their girl child as it would prevent early marriage, empower her with skills and educate her on the basic human rights.

Rita k Gonyok

National Press Center Abuja

Rita_gonyok@yahoo.com

Robot  # 1 | 21.01.2009 05:24

The Girl Child marriage is becoming too rampant today in spite of the campaign launched against it in different quarters by the Civil Liberty Organizations, the NGOs and a host of other humanitarian groups. The legal minimum age for marriage under a number of ratified laws is 18. In spite of this legal provision, child marriage is still widely practiced in some parts of the world. In Nigeria, the cases of child marriage are very much ubiquitous in the northern part of the country. ...Read the full article.

emenanjo  # 2 | 21.01.2009 17:38

On the 28th of November 2008, Channel 4 beamed to the world the actrocities being committed on daily basis by adult males in the Northern part of Nigeria. I saw old men who are married to little girls as old as 12 and 13. It was a terible sight. I saw the devastating effect of Fistula to the vagina of these young and highly vunerable girls. Katsina and Kano were the worst culprits. The number of little girls, of forced marriages, suffering from Fistula was quite scary and the pictures shown were bizarre and frightening. I then wondered what Yaradua and her wife did for 8 years in Katsina State as Governor of that state from 1999 to 2007. What effort did his wife put in to help put a check to those criminal practices in Katsina state? What efforts are the Emirs of Kano and Katsina making to stop these on- going practices? Are they just sitting on their regaled throne doing nothing while little girls of unmarriagable age are being abused sexually and left with everlasting scars? I just cannot believe this? Expecially Katsina state! Reporter, Ramita Nawai of Uk Channel 4 TV did a wonderful job and reportage. So far we have been shown in the UK, two disturbing programmes beamed to the world, showing debauchery, bestiality and animalistic behaviour exhibited by adult males and citizens of Nigeria on fellow vulnerable Nigerians. The other was the "Child-witchcraft in Akwa Ibom". And yet we have governments and government officials who see these abuses and care less about them. Is Nigeria really, ever going to be a serious country? I think it is time for genuinely educated moslem women in the North to stand up and fight against these ills and criminal acts. Rita Gonyok should do more by mobilising more female moslem journalists who should take practical steps to see to the abolition of these early marriages in the North. It is a stigma. We have a government that has ears but cannot hear neither can it see with her eyes. They are deaf to hearing!