Blog Post 11 (Reaction to Rotunda Projects)

     Although many rotunda projects opened my eyes to a variety of issues I knew little about, one in particular stood out to me: child marriage.  I was aware that it was a problem in developing nations, but I had no idea just how severe the problem was.

     14 million girls become child brides each year, or 38,000 every day.  As if that wasn't bad enough, young girls are not married to young boys.  Girls as young as 5 years old are forced against their will to marry men upwards of 40 or 50 years old.  Needless to say, the effects of these forced marriages are horrific.  Child brides suffer a dangerously high risk of abuse, domestic and sexual violence, STI's such as HIV and AIDS, and an increased mortality rate.  Girls under age 15 are 5 times more likely to die in childbirth than women aged 20-24.  In countries where child marriage is common, complications from pregnancy and childbirth are the number 1 cause of death for girls ages 15-19.

     Child marriage is most common in Africa.  Niger, Chad, Mali, Bangladesh, Guinea, Central African Republic, Mozambique, and Nepal and all countries where 50% of girls are married before their 18th birthday.  Child marriage is caused by poverty, due to women being viewed as an economic burden, as well as ancient traditions or religious practices that have proven difficult to change.  Moreover, it is nearly impossible for a girl to escape once she is married.  Child brides are often illiterate and poorly educated as they are removed from school in order perform domestic work and bear children.  Abuse,  sexual violence, illiteracy, AIDS, and dying from childbirth all combine to create a vicious cycle of child marriage that must be stopped.

Becky Reals