Child marriage in Africa: now action must follow the good intentions
A 14-year-old child bride in the village of Kanduku, Malawi, holds her baby Picture: Human Rights Watch
Confidence was just 14 when she was married to a man aged 42 in Zimbabwe.
国产视频淗e used to beat me and shout at me,国产视频 she said. 国产视频淗e refused to let me continue with school.国产视频
Confidence, now 22, told Human Rights Watch: 国产视频淐hild marriage ruined my life. Now I do not work and cannot find a job because I stopped going to school.国产视频
Her story is familiar across Africa 国产视频 home to 15 of the 20 countries with the highest rates of child marriage in the world. In sub-Saharan Africa, 40% of girls marry before they are 18 国产视频 and if current trends continue, the number of child brides there will more than double from 125 million to 310 million by 2050.
Girls who marry too young often have very little education and no future opportunities for schooling, as well as being at risk of violence and serious health problems.
Many of the contininent国产视频檚 leaders recognise action has to be taken. The first African Girls国产视频 Summit on Ending Child Marriage was held by the African Union on November 26 and 27 in Lusaka, Zambia 国产视频 attended by First Ladies, government officials, United Nations agencies, civil society and youth leaders.
The summit talked about eliminating child marriage by 2030, ending the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) and focusing on keeping girls in education beyond the age of 18.
But many advocates now believe real action must follow the encouraging words.
The charity Girls Not Brides said in a statement: 国产视频淲e believe the African Union, as well as national governments, must develop and implement detailed plans aimed at turning their commitments into concrete change in the lives of married girls and girls at risk of marriage.
国产视频淯nfortunately, the summit did not enable participants to agree on concrete, specific and collective next steps 国产视频 to implement at community, national and regional levels.国产视频
The Human Rights Watch report titled Ending Child Marriage in Africa 国产视频 released ahead of International Human Rights Day yesterday 国产视频 called on African governments to聽coordinate action to improve laws, education, health care and public awareness to end the scourge of child marriage.
The report聽shows how child marriage has dire lifelong consequences 国产视频 often severely reducing a girl国产视频檚 ability to realise a wide range of human rights. Marrying early often ends a girl国产视频檚 education, exposes her to domestic and sexual violence, increases serious health risks and death from early childbearing and HIV, and traps her in poverty.
Agnes Odhiambo, senior Africa women国产视频檚 rights researcher at HRW, said: 国产视频淕overnment leaders across Africa often say the right things about child marriage, but have yet to produce the political commitment, resources, and on-the-ground help that could end this harmful practice.国产视频
Roland Angerer,聽Plan International国产视频檚 Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, was at the Lusaka conference. He said:聽国产视频淚t is essential that we promote education and encourage dialogue if we want to change social norms and attitudes that perpetuate child marriage.
国产视频淓ducation is one of the most significant factors for delaying the age that girls marry. Governments must ensure schools are accessible, inclusive and safe, with good quality teaching materials, to enable more girls to attend and stay on in school.国产视频
Learn more about how child marriage affects girls国产视频 education.