Child Marriage

Human Rights Council 1
Child Marriage
Mitsu Puri
Head Chair
Introduction
Child Marriage is a violation of basic human rights. It is a grave threat to the
lives and prospects of young girls. Not only does it inhibit young girls from
gaining education but may also be detrimental to their health as well as limit
their opportunities. Often times, young girls are forced into childbearing, early
and frequently. This leads to high maternal and infant mortality rates and can
have adverse effects on the girls’ sexual and reproductive health and rights. A
disproportionately larger number of girls are affected than boys.
Although 158 countries have officially established the legal age for marriage at
18, in various nations, the law is not upheld as long stranding traditions and
social norms are of greater importance. The 5 countries with the highest rate of
child marriage are:
Niger - 75%
Chad and Central African Republic - 68%
Bangladesh - 66%
Guinea - 63%
Definition of Key Terms
• Child Marriage: UNICEF defines the term as a formal
marriage or informal union before the age of 18. The term
is often referred to as “early” and/or “forced” marriage
since children that young aren’t able to give informed
consent.
• Convention on the Rights of the Child: a ratified, international
human rights treaty. The acceptance of the treaty
showcases a global commitment to promoting the rights of
children. In signing the convention, all countries agree to
abolishing any traditional practices that could potentially
harm the health of a child.
Definition of Key Terms
•
United Nations Population Foundation (UNFPA): formerly known
as the United Nations Fund for Population Activity, is a UN
organization with the primary aim of ensuring that “every
pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, every young person is
free of HIV and sexually transmitted diseases, and every girl and
woman is treated with dignity and respect”
•
Every Woman Every Child: a global movement launched by Ban
Ki-moon in hopes of addressing the major challenges women
and children face today. Global Strategy for Women’s and
Children’s Health, a movement under Every Woman Every
Child, outlines the possible ways in which nations can
strengthen their policies and provide more options for women
and children in dire situations.
Topic summary / Overview
Child marriage is a violation of Article 16(2) of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights (UDHR). The article states that “marriage shall be entered into
only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses”. Often time, children
are forced into marriage or aren’t capable of providing consent as they aren’t
completely aware of the consequences that follow an early marriage.
Although boys and girls alike are coerced into marrying as children, a higher
prevalence of girls fall victim to the practice. One in 3 girls in low to middleincome countries are married before they turn 18. A shocking one in 9 are
married before they’re 15. If this trend were to continue, the number of child
marriages each year will increase from 14.2 million (2010) to 15.1 million in
2030. The largest number of child brides reside in South Asia. India alone,
accounts for one third of the child brides worldwide.
Major Parties involved
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA): published a report
on the current situation and possible solutions that can be
adopted so as to eventually eradicate the practice. The reports
call upon governments to do the following :o Set the legal age of marriage to 18 and enforce this law strictly.
o Compile data to find areas where child marriage is especially
prevalent and target those areas.
o Establish prevention programs, educate the masses about the
risks of child marriage and address the root cause of the practice.
Empower girls and boys through education.
Major Parties involved
United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF):
organized the International Day of the Girl Child since 2012. The day
promotes girls’ human rights and puts and emphasis on the many
gender inequalities that still remain today. In 2012, the day was
focused on ending child marriage. They even raised awareness about
the harmful practice.
The organization has identified the various factors that contribute to
the continuation of the practice. These are economic, structural and
social :o lack of educational opportunities
o long standing tradition
o in some cultures, older unmarried girls may be considered impure
o avoid pregnancy out of wedlock (state of being married)
Timeline
October 11, 2012: UNICEF organized the International Day of the
Girl Child to raise awareness about the practice of child marriage.
25 September, 2013: the first United Nations Human Rights Council
resolution against child, early, and forced marriages was adopted; it
recognizes child marriage as a human rights violation and pledges to
eliminate the practice
21 November 2014: during the 69th session of the General Assembly,
161 voted in favor of a resolution that called for the ban of child
marriage.
September 12, 2015: International Centre for Research on Women
(ICRW) will host a panel with the aim of launching a new report that
brings to the forefront effective interventions to end the harmful
practice. Organizations like CARE, BRAC USA, Save the Children
and Pathfinder International will be present.
UN Involvement
On November 21, 2014 during the 69th session of the General
Assembly, a resolution calling for the ban on child marriage
passed with a 161 Member States voting in favour. This was the
first time UN Member States collectively agreed upon the
recommendations for the various steps nations and organization
can take to address the practice of child marriage.
The resolution was led by the government of Canada and
Zambia. It built on the previous year’s resolutions in the General
Assembly and the Human Rights Council which were
procedural resolutions calling for reports and more information
on the issue.
Link to resolution:
http://www.who.int/pmnch/media/events/2014/child_marriage.pdf?ua=1
Possible Solutions
Girls not Brides (a global partnership between various organizations
committed to ending child marriage) has suggested the following :Educating women and children
Supporting young people to become activists for change
Mobilizing and educating communities
Including men and traditional leaders
Enacting and enforcing laws that set a legal minimum age for
marriage
Potentially introducing incentives
Raising awareness in media
Bibliography
Images
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/01/21/article-2543166-1AD97C5200000578-504_634x417.jpg
http://s.ngm.com/2011/06/child-brides/img/yemeni-child-brides-husbands-615.jpg
http://www.youthpolicy.org/development/files/2013/09/Child-Marriage-India.jpg
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sQ
http://www.girlsnotbrides.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/GNB-Logo-Job-opportunity-3.jpg
Bibliography
Information
United Nations Children’s Fund, Ending Child Marriage:
Progress and prospects, UNICEF, New York, 2014
UN Population Fund (UNFPA), Marrying Too Young: End Child
Marriage , 2012, available at:
http://www.refworld.org/docid/508fe73f2.html [accessed 13
January 2015]
"UN Passes Historic Resolution on Ending Child Marriage."
PMNCH. World Health Organisation, 21 Nov. 2014. Web. 13
Jan. 2015.
<http://www.who.int/pmnch/media/events/2014/child_marri
age/en/>