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Child marriage is a marriage or domestic partnership, formal or informal, usually between a child and an adult, but can also be between a child and another child. [ 1 ] Although the age of majority (legal adulthood ) and marriage age are typically 18 years old, these thresholds can differ in different jurisdictions . [ 2 ]
Child marriage in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is more common in rural areas. [5] Rural areas sustain levels of child marriage at 11.6% before the age of fifteen, and 37.3% before the age of eighteen. [11] For example, in the province of Kwilu, some tribes have a tradition of child marriage, such as the Yansi tribe. [4]
Unchained At Last, a non-profit advocacy group dedicated to ending child marriage in the United States, found that only 14% of the child marriages conducted from 2000 to 2010 were between two children marrying each other. [20] In the other 86% of cases, child marriages are between a minor and an adult. [35]
Early and child marriage are directly attributable to deep-rooted gender inequalities, traditional practices, and customs. [1]The close relationship between female chastity and family honour forces family members to marry girls at an early age to prevent sexual transgressions and consequent damage to family reputation.
The 2008 report "Early marriage in Afghanistan" said that regional differences accounted for a vast difference in child marriage incidence. Of the girls interviewed, 59% came from rural areas while 41% were from urban cities. Of those married at age 12, 75% resided in rural areas, as well. [5]
Ethiopia is just another example of a developing country in which extreme poverty leads to child marriages. Originally, child marriage was a custom that occurred between two wealthy families. Rich people were attracted to early marriage as a way to establish an alliance with two strong households in order to ensure land and cattle for their ...
Child marriage is common in a multitude of African countries. In South Sudan, child marriage is a growing epidemic. Child marriage in South Sudan is driven by socioeconomic factors such as poverty and gender inequality. [2] Current figures state that South Sudan is one of the leading countries in the world when it comes to child marriage.
With Sierra Leone's civil war, many young girls were conscripted into being child soldiers. [10] Organization Girls Not Brides contends that due to the presence of female child soldiers in Sierra Leone, it may have aided in cultural perceptions of young girls as being mentally capable of marriage, with the justification being that since they were capable to physically engage in armed conflict ...