We scrupulously investigate abuses, expose the facts widely, and pressure those with power to respect rights and secure justice. The region with the highest level of girlbrides in nigeria also repreless than 20. In africa, high rates of child marriage combined with a rapidly growing. In simple terms, child marriage is the marriage of a person aged before majority. Many factors interact to place a child at risk of marriage, including poverty, the perception that marriage will provide protection, family honor, social norms, customary or religious laws that condone the practice, an inadequate legislative framework and the state of a countrys civil registration system. The age of marriage under customary law is governed in the three eastern states of nigeria by the age of marriage law 1956.
Idowu there can be no keener revelation of a societys soul than the way in which it treats its children. The article recommends a negotiated consensus in determining the minimum age for child marriage, given nigerias plural and religious constituents. Forced child marriage may take a variety of forms, but should be distinguished from arranged marriages. Child marriage is a marriage of a child younger than eighteen 18yrs 6.
Thus early child marriage can be considered a subset of forced marriage, while forced marriage also encompasses adult unions. The south is mainly christian and the north is principally islam. It identifies regions and locations where the practice of child marriage. This harmful practice affects niger more than anywhere in the world. Addressing early marriage of young and adolescent girls. Most african countries with high rates of child marriage have civil laws that prohibit child marriage and set minimum marriage ages. This work is a result of a series of technical consultations on child marriage. Chidl marriage in ngi er context child marriage refers to a formal or informal union in which at least one of the parties is under 18 years of age. The practice of child marriages in nigeria has never been pleasant. Girlchild marriage in the nigerian society, causes. Getting married before reaching at this minimum legal age is not only illegal but also against. This is despite the countrys own child rights act specifying that marriage cannot occur until the age of 18.
This study identifies the major causes of child trafficking that stand as a bottleneck in nigeria. Causes, effects and remedies abstract this study focuses on the causes, effects and remedies of child trafficking in nigeria using ijebuode local government area of ogun state as a case study. In 2017 in nigeria, 43% of girls are married off before the age of 18. Marriage under native law and custom may be dissolved by a magistrate court or a customary court. Even in countries where child marriage is less common, the same gender differences are found. Marriage before the age of 18 is a fundamental violation of human rights. Eightyfour percent of first births to adolescent girls in nigeria occur within marriage. Child marriage impedes girls education the education a girl receives is the strongest predictor of the age she will marry, according to icrw analysis in 18 of the 20 countries with the highest prevalence of child marriage. Secondly, in northern nigeria child marriage is seen and used as a method for the preservation of the virtue of girls.
Child marriage represents a fundamental breach of human rights. Nigeria is home to the largest number of child brides in africa, with 23 million girls and women who were married in childhood. Despite setting a goal of ending child marriage in bangladesh by 2041, sheikh hasina has also proposed legislation that would lower the age of marriage for girls to 16 from the current age of 18. Introduction child marriage refers to any marriage of a child younger than eighteen years old, in accordance to article 1 of the convention of the right of the child. Department of states reciprocity schedule the dosrs, which states, the following about customary divorce in nigeria. A 2017 world bank study shows that ending child marriage in uganda could generate usd514 million in earnings and productivity.
Child marriage is the formal or informal marriage of a child under the age of 18 most often the marriage of a young girl to an older boy or man. Asia has some of the highest rates of child marriage in the world, with more than one third of all child marriages that occur globally occurring in the region 5. Today, over 60 million marriages include girls under the age of 18 years. Child marriage is most common in rural areas 100 80 50 10 90 60 20 70 30 40 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 rural urban child marriage is more common in rural areas child marriage is more common in urban areas togo suriname ghana guyana peru senegal nigeria 15. But the global profile of child marriage is changing. The importance of girl child education cannot be over emphasized. The causes, consequences and solutions to forced child. Todays society is plagued with a number of challenging issues, one of such issues is early child marriage. Ending child marriage is integral to the women, peace and. Despite the fact that they are legally prohibited, child marriages are prevalent in the.
In neighbouring west african country, niger, 76% of girls are married before the age of 18, while in central african republic the figure stands at 68% vii. According to the british council in nigeria, more than half of nigerian women in the north are married by the age of 16 and are expected to give birth to a child during the first year of marriage uk 2012, 2. Boys are also married as children, but girls are disproportionately affected. Commission on human and peoples rights african commission. The paper observed the high prevalence of child marriage among the hausafulani communities in northwest nigeria in spite. 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. Abstract this brief has provided a basic profile of child marriage in nigeria. Of the 41 countries worldwide with a child marriage prevalence rate of 30 percent or more, 30 are in african union countries. The meeting brings together highlevel personalities from member states to share good practices and challenges in ending child marriage. The practice of child marriage in nigeria is prevalent. However, a number of societies accept and practice this. Nigeria is the 11th highest nation in the world for percentage of child marriages data shows a 9% decline in the prevalence of child marriage compared to 2003. Specifically, the paper seeks to present information on the prevalence of child marriage in ghana and trends in the incidence of child marriage over time. Braimah in the context of nigeria and child marriages, we also recommend the enactment of a special law that deals with child marriages, for example, the prohibition of child marriage act.
According to akinwunmi 2010, nigeria is one of the signatories of many international and regional instruments which regulate the rights of children. Introduction most child protection issues in nigeria are covered by the 2003 child s rights act, which explicitly. Helen married at 15 and said she would have chosen school over marriage, but her family was. The causes, consequences and solutions to forced child marriage. Nigeria has undergone fierce constitutional battles to establish a minimum age for marriage. A growing child population combined with a slow decline in the practice of child marriage in africa will put millions more girls at risk. Additionally, poor families tend to marry off girls at the same time to help reduce the burden of high marriage ceremony expenses. Ending child marriage a guide for global policy action19. This paper presents an analysis of all nationally representative and internationally comparable data on the prevalence of child marriage among boys. Human rights watch defends the rights of people worldwide. Dimension, reasons for its persistence and probable solutions olaitan o. Are there countryspecific drivers of child marriage in this country. The article refers to a recent article on child marriage in nigeria, published in this journal, as a broad context to examine two issues.
Section 61 of part i of the 1999 constitution and the protection of children against child marriage. Effect of child marriage on girls school dropout in nepal. Early marriage or child marriage is defined as the marriage or union between two people in which one or both parties are younger than 18 years old mcintyre, 2006. The role of faith leaders in advancing the cause of adolescent girls christian aid is an international organisation that insists the world can and must be swiftly changed to one where everyone can live a full life, free from poverty. Between 2011 and 2020, more than 140 million girls will become child brides, according to united nations population fund unfpa.
Forced child marriage remains a serious issue in niger with the highest rate of child marriage in the world. Findings on the worst forms of child labor nigeria u. Although the nigerian government has tried to stamp out child marriage with the enactment of the child rights act of 2003, the practice of child marriage is still prevalent among the hausafulani tribe predominantly muslim who occupy northern nigeria and where sharia law is in force. The first is the statutory elaboration of the constitutional protection of children, and the second is the suggestion that religious marriages trump childrens rights in nigerias constitutional jurisprudence. Legal issues, complications, implications, prospects and solutions. The national strategic plan to end child marriage in nigeria. Despite the prevalence of child marriage in the country, child marriage is illegal in nigeria. An estimated 22 million child brides live in nigeria, which accounts. According to unicef, nigeria has the third highest absolute number of child brides in the world 3,538,000 and the 11th highest prevalence rate of child marriage globally. Problems and challenges of girlchild education in nigeria. All african countries are faced with the challenge of child marriage, a harmful. Listen to 15yearold hamsatou explain how she wants to live her life free from forced marriage. This is because the dowry requirement often increases with the age and the education level of the girl.
Forced child marriage is a lifechanging reality for many of the worlds girls. Out of the top 20 countries with the highest rates of child marriage across the globe, 17 are african countries, and nigeria ranks at number 11. So, even though the country as a whole is bound by federal law and the nigerian constitution and i use the word bound very loosely. Nepal, alongside bangladesh, afghanistan, and india, is considered a hotspot country in south asia, as the practice of child marriage is pervasive 5. Mauritania and nigeria, more than half of adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 who are currently married have husbands who are 10 or more years older than they. Identifying forced marriage presumes a common notion of consent that may, in reality, differ according to cultural attitudes. In niger, for instance, 77 per cent of women aged 20 to 49 were married before age 18 in contrast to 5 per cent of men in the same age group.
Unicef government of nigeria programme of cooperation, 2018. Early marriage in nigeria is against international conventions mentioned earlier in this work, which placed the legal age of consent to marriage at 18 years. Child marriage is one of the biggest human rights violations in the world. Problems and challenges of girl child education in nigeria. Building resilience and resistance to child, early, and forced. 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.
Unicef government of nigeria programme of cooperation, 20182022 programme strategy note. Child marriage is most common in the north west and north east of nigeria, where 68% and 57% of women aged 2049 were married before their 18th birthday. The prevalence rate of child marriage is closely linked to the attainment of mdgs 1, 2,3,4,5 and 6 and therefore ending child marriage should be one of the core human development issues of the post2015 development agenda as well as the african unions agenda 2063. Africa, entered their first marriage or union before they celebrated their 18th birthday.
Child marriage, defined as marriage of a child under 18 years of age, is a silent and yet widespread practice. This report has been prepared at the request of the special rapporteur on the rights of women in africa srrwa, a special mechanism of the african. Some as young as 8 or 9 are forced to trade their childhoods for a life that can be defined by isolation, violence and illness. Many girls who are married off before they turn 18 or are forced into early marriages are made to leave school, depriving them of their right to education and future independence.
In nigeria, there is a plural legal system where statutory, customary and islamic laws apply, particularly in regards to laws relating to marriage, divorce and inheritance cedaw, 2017. Ending child marriage and meeting the needs of married. This study is therefore informed by this practice seeks to analyse the cause, impact on the nigerian society as well as determine if available solutions are. Child marriage briefing nigeria population council. According to thetimes, northern nigeria has one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world 28 nov. Early child marriage in nigeria is a violation of the fundamental human rights of women as many girls are forced into marriage against their freewill and consent. The prevalence of forced child marriage depends on the social, cultural, and political. Nigeria is a federation of 36 states, each state may or may not adopt federal laws into their state legislatures amnesty international, 2017. Child, early, and forced marriage and psychological trauma of girls in northeast. Child marriage is driven by gender inequality and the belief that girls are somehow inferior to boys.
However, having a child outside marriage is not uncommon in many 1 see documents eb12 and eb2012rec2, summary record of the third meeting. This paper examines the controversies surrounding the legality of child marriage conducted in nigeria. The practice of child marriage has been wellstudied among girls, but there has been little information to date about child marriage among boys. Each day, 25,000 girls are married and an anticipated 100 million girls. This brief has provided a basic profile of child marriage in nigeria. Child marriage is often deployed as a response to crisis, considered by families and communities to be the best possible means of protecting children. Despite the directors specific indication in both the rfe and final decision that the decree absolute is the evidence required to demonstrate the dissolution of a civil marriage in nigeria, the petitioner has failed to submit this document. The practice of child marriage in nigeria huffpost. In most of the countries the minimum legal age for the child marriage is 18 years. The prevalence of forced child marriage depends on.
Child marriage unfpa united nations population fund. Despite laws against it, the practice remains widespread. As the most populous country in the region, nigeria has the highest number of child brides. In the least developed countries, that number doubles 40 per cent of girls are married before age 18, and 12 per cent of girls are married before age 15. Child marriage essay introduction causes impact imp days. Over the years we have seen children been married out as bride when they should be in school. This can partly be explained because nigeria is very much divided on religious grounds. Addressing early marriage of young and adolescent girls girls in many resourcepoor countries often have little choice about whom or when they marry. Child marriage in nigeria is one of the most painful and disturbing problems in the country. Globally, one in every five girls is married, or in union, before reaching age 18. Pdf child marriage in nigeria by chidinma kosa ewelike. However some countries allow marriages at 16 years as well, especially for the girl children.
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