Rising Child Marriages During The Pandemic

Even before the COVID-19 outbreak, 100 million girls were at risk of child marriage. In the last ten years, the proportion of young women globally who were married as children had decreased by 15 per cent, from nearly 1 in 4 to 1 in 5, the equivalent of some 25 million marriages averted, a gain that is now under threat.

• Estimates by United Nations Children’s Fund projected that an additional 10 million girls globally will be at risk of child marriages over the next decade due to COVID-19.
• India is home to the largest number of child brides in the world, accounting for one-third of child marriages globally.Nearly 1 in 4 girls were married by the age of 18 years in India (27 per cent). Although, there is a drop in the overall rate of child marriages, from 26.8 per cent in the earlier National Family Health Survey (NFHS) to 23.3 per cent in NFHS 5.

Causes behind Child Marriage

COVID-19: A threat to progress against child marriage, a report by the UNICEF, warns that the girls are at increased risk of child marriage because of-

• School Closures: As schools remain closed, girls are more likely to drop out of education and not return.
• Economic Stress and Rising Poverty: Job losses and increased economic insecurity may force families to marry their daughters to ease financial burdens.
• Service Disruptions: Pandemic-related travel restrictions and physical distancing make it difficult for girls to access the health care, social services and community support that protect them from child marriage, unwanted pregnancy and gender-based violence.
• Parental Deaths due to the Pandemic:The death of parents also increased the likelihood that a female orphan will be married off, since family members may find it hard to support her.

While the above factors are likely to affect child marriage in all settings, additional contextual factors may also play a role. Such factors include:

• The overall prevalence of child marriage;
• The amount and direction of marriage payments;
• Gender and social norms;
• The availability of social protection and poverty alleviation programs.

Impact of Child Marriage

Child marriage often compromises a girl’s development by-

• Resulting in early and unplanned pregnancy, in turn increasing the risk of maternal complications and mortality.
• Social isolation from family and friends and excluding them from participating in their communities, affecting their mental health and well-being.
• Putting girls at risk of being denied access to education, which impacts their autonomy and their access to health care.
• Limiting her opportunities for career and vocational advancement.
• Placing her at increased risk of domestic violence.
• Perpetuating gender discrimination, which in turn leads to malnutrition and reproductive health issues.

Further the risks associated with child marriage are not restricted to girls who are married before 18. It leads to an intergenerational cycle of poverty that adversely impacts the economy.

Consequences of Ending Child Marriage

Improvement in girls’ educational attainment and health, as well as increased earnings, decision-making power and control over their reproductive rights.

• Reduction of maternal and infant mortality, and of intimate partner violence.
• Benefit countries and societies as a whole, boosting their economic growth and stability and saving the global economy trillions of dollars.

Possibilities and Prospects

The importance of ending child marriage has been recognized by the international community through its inclusion in Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. Target 5.3 seeks to end child, early and forced marriage by 2030.

• Reopening schools, implementing effective laws and policies, ensuring access to health and social services – including sexual and reproductive health services – and providing comprehensive social protection measures for families can significantly reduce a girl’s risk of having a child marriage.