Children Bearing Children: A study on Child marriage in Nigeria

Children Bearing Children: A study on Child marriage in Nigeria8

Three major life events that are worthy of note include birth, marriage, and death. Of the three, only marriage is a matter of choice. Following the United Nations Convention which established the rights of a child 33 years ago, there still exist an argument regarding the definition of a child. This ensues partly from the customs and thought pattern in different countries which influences their laws (Akinola, 2018). In Nigeria, women, politicians, human rights advocates, and religious and traditional authorities’ campaigners argue for and against child marriage (Akinola, 2018).

Child marriage is a global issue with a solid foundation in cultural norms that has endured because people value these customs highly. It is a relationship or marriage between two people where one or both of them are under 18 years old. Article of the Convention on the Rights of the Child defines an early marriage or child marriage as any marriage of a child under the age of 18. A kid is defined as someone under the age of 18 in Section 277 of the Child Rights Act of 2003. To put it another way, a child is everyone under the age of 18. (Ede & Kalu, 2018). Both official marriage and informal unions in which a girl lives with a partner as if she is married before the age of 18 are considered, according to UNICEF (2005). The Child Rights Act (CRA) of 2003 domesticated the CRC at the national level in Nigeria, although several of the 36 federating states of Nigeria have opposed the definition of 18 as the marriageable age at the subnational level. The implications of the deadlock are obvious in the conflicts for the promotion and protection of children’s human rights as vulnerable members of society, particularly young girls’ human rights.

One in three girls in underdeveloped nations get married before the age of 18, and one in nine get married before the age of 15, according to reports from Population Action International (2013). These girls often come from rural areas, have limited resources, and are victims of early marriage. The rate of child marriage in Nigeria is among the highest in the world, ranking among the top 20 in Africa. Over 23 million girls and women in the country were married off at an early age since it is culturally and religiously acceptable to do so. But it is especially widespread among certain religious and ethnic groups in the north. Accordingly, Onwe (2014) pointed out that child marriage mostly affects females and is more common in the northern than the southern parts of Nigeria. According to Erulkar and Bello (2007), preserving the value of virginity, aversion to premarital sex, lowering girl child promiscuity, and other religious and socio-cultural standards are the reasons why early marriages are accepted in the northern portions of Nigeria. However, due to their lack of exposure and short-sightedness, most parents neglect the impact it has on their daughters and its implicit effect on their development in society. However, the girl child’s inability to defy the pressure is regrettable, alarming, and worrying. Nigerian girls’ human rights are still routinely violated through underage marriage, which has damaged the nation’s reputation for upholding human rights (Ukwuoma, 2014).

Ukwuoma (2014) noted that a girl who is married as a kid is uprooted from the secure atmosphere of her family and the supportive presence of her parents, where she is nourished while displaying her immature, clumsy, and curious actions as a developing child. She is transplanted into a new place where she is given a new position as a wife and obligations, including fulfilling her husband’s sexual needs and carrying out various domestic tasks associated with her new position. These, of course, transcends her level of development as a youngster and have an impact on both her mental and physical health. A young lady who is unprepared for the changes that marriage brings about is susceptible to various types of abuse, including psychological harm, domestic violence, and forced sexual actions by the husband (Adedokun et al, 2016). All of them are cruel, inhumane, and demeaning to girls. Due to this, the UNICEF properly noted that millions of young girls are doomed to a life of suffering and unhappiness through child marriage.

Causes of child marriage in Nigeria

Nigeria included child marriage is associated with poverty in many nations. This is because it disproportionately impacts the population’s poorest members and contributes to the perpetuation of poverty cycles. Child spouses typically have more kids and less options for independent employment. The feminization of poverty is ultimately fuelled by child marriage, which in turn fuels it. Also, to be noticed is the possibility for parents who are having financial difficulties to send their children away for marriage due to the financial benefit that comes in the guise of the bride price. It should be mentioned that Nigeria’s lax legal systems and lax enforcement have allowed the issue of violence against children to grow. It is important to point out that the perpetrators of child marriage would stop their heinous deeds if the laws were transparent and guaranteed to be enforced. Law enforcement organizations are seen as dishonest and under-resourced in a similar way. People find it challenging to report instances of child marriage as a result. It’s vital to note that the traditional view of the roles of men and women, combined with the preference for male children, leads to early child marriage for girls. This is true because training a girl to be a good wife is given more importance than her education. This abhorrent cultural practice hinders the advancement of women and girls, whose contributions are crucial in any nation. Due to their lack of finances, children who are compelled to travel to different regions of the nation risk being coerced into child marriages.

Implication of Child Marriage

Inadequate care of sexual and reproductive health is a major killer of women of childbearing age around the world. Having inadequate access to reproductive health services is a particularly serious issue in developing countries. Child marriage, which exposes the bride-to-be to the risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), pregnancies that occur before menstruation begins, and pregnancies that occur before the mother’s pelvic growth is complete all exacerbate the problem. STDs like cervical cancer and HIV are the most common health difficulties that child brides face since child marriages are frequently polygamous, with numerous spouses and, in some cases, mistresses retained outside the marriage. Due to this background, ignorance, and established cultural opposition to condom use, it is typical for husbands to have unprotected intercourse with the child bride as well as other partners and wives. This could put the child bride at risk for contracting the husband’s STIs before she even starts her period. In the event that the child bride contracts an STD through her husband, it is possible she might not receive treatment due to access to healthcare, financial hardship, or her husband’s refusal to give her permission to go to the hospital.

One of the most important indicators of social growth in any culture is the education of girls. The global community has pledged to keep education at the forefront of development in recognition of the crucial role it plays in society. Girl children’s educational development is hampered by child marriage. Most young girls may never have the opportunity to finish their school like their peers. This can prevent the girl child from learning about her rights. The psychological effects that child marriage has on the girl child are another consequence. In the main, the childhood of the girl childhood is first and foremost disrupted, which is known as the process of maturation into adulthood. Typically, the girl has conflicting feelings because she has no idea what she is getting into. Her classmates who don’t follow the same cycle could turn into her tormentors, which would stigmatize her. She’s too young to appropriately care for future pregnancies and children. Despite being the cultural norm, this causes mental and emotional regression or stagnation, which prevents her from ever reaching her full potential as an adult. As a result, individuals develop inadequate interpersonal skills and experience loneliness. It should be emphasized that in most circumstances, the child bride and her husband have a significant age difference, and some of these men may even be the daughter’s father’s age. This uneven relationship feeds the child’s inferiority complex, which prevents the girl from speaking up about her pain.

Recommendations

The Constitution must be changed to move concerns about women’s and children’s rights to the Concurrent Legislative List. As a result, a recommended minimum age for marriage will be imposed. The government must enforce laws that will help the child bride to recognize her educational rights and develop into an independent and educated. This would be fostered by communicating these laws in rural areas where the practice is most common. The technique that supports all other measures to prevent early marriage is changing mindsets. The introduction and promotion of programs to alter perceptions of gender roles for girls and boys generally as well as the practice of early marriage will result in real development. This demands that cultures re-evaluate established gender norms. To solve the problem of child marriage, there needs to be a strategic alliance between the government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), educational institutions, and religious organizations. Each actor may play a significant part through the availability of required resources and logistics to end this situation.

Notably, social media can be used to raise awareness about the detrimental impact of child marriage and to support arguments against it. As a result, this would alter how society as a whole views and feels about child marriage.

References

Adedokun, O., Adeyemi, O. and Dauda, C. (2016) ‘Child marriage and maternal health risks among young mothers in Gombe, Adamawa State, Nigeria: implications of mortality, entitlements & freedoms.’ African Health Science 16(4).

Akinola, O. (2018). Who is a child? The politics of human rights, the convention on the rights of the child (CRC), and child marriage in Nigeria. In Blouin-Genest, G., Doran, M., Paquerot, S (eds) Human Rights as Battlefields. Human Rights Interventions. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.

Ede, V., & Kalu, D. (2018). Child abuse in Nigeria: Responses of Christian churches and the way out. International Journal of Innovative Research in Multidisciplinary Field, 4(4), 46-53.

Erulkar, A and Bello, M. (2007). The Experience of Married Adolescent Girls in Northern Nigeria. The Population Council, Inc.

Onwe, S. (2014). Championing the campaign against child abuse in Nigeria: A call to save the needy. International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 4(1), 279-286.

Population Action International (2012). Media Kit, A Grim Reality: The Reproductive Health of Married Girls. Retrieved 3rd September, from www.population.org.

Ukwuoma, A. (2014) Child Marriage in Nigeria: The Health Hazards and Socio-Legal Implications, USA: Lulu Press Inc., 60.

UNICEF (2005) Early Marriage: A Harmful Traditional Practice. Accessed on 28th April