Child Marriage

Guo, Xiaoning (Anita)

Sociology 10

Professor Navarrete

October 29, 2012

Child Marriage

Child marriage most often occurs in poor, rural communities, and child marriage is a substantial barrier to social and economic development in India and a primary concern for women's health. In many regions, parents arrange their daughter's marriage unbeknownst to the girl. Can you even imagine that little girls was playing at the front yard with her siblings or friends, and the next day she got marry and spend her rest of life with a unknown guy or to send to a village that is far from her home to stay with those people that she never met. She is pulled off from her school, separate with her peer group, and being a stranger to her husband's family. For those girls who had early marriage are mostly likely suffered in different kinds of disease due to the early sexual activity and child bearing.

According to a video called, "The Bride Price, Consequences of Child Marriage Worldwide" reported that most of child marriage age is between 12 to 16 years old. In Nepal, 40% of girls are married before the age of 14. Complications from early pregnancy are the leading cause of death for women 15 to 19 years old. This is a large amount of numbers for forcing underage girls to get marry, and this is an awful practice to either society or communities. This harmful traditional practice of child marriage is most common is poor area, where their parents forced their girls to get marry for their economic hardship and social status. Those girls age were too early to get marry and to have sexual activity or child bearing, and their lack of knowledge will lead them suffer all kinds of disease including HIV. Most of young brides have little voice in their own lives, and most likely to be victims of domestic violence, sexual abuse and social isolation.

Though, there are some communities at local was trying to decrease this practice and trying to telling people this is unhealthy for their daughters. However, we need more voices to speak up for those girls who had little voice, and they deserve a normal healthy adolescence live. Those parents need to be told that social status and economic does not equivalent to a girl's life time. Child marriage not just only harmful to