Nafisah Nubah :
Child marriage has been a prevalent issue in Bangladesh for the long and has returned in full surge during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Child marriage refers to the official or unofficial union in marriage of underage children, which as per Bangladeshi law refers to girls below 18 and boys below 21.
Since the start of the lockdown announced to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, over 11,000 school girls were married off by their families.
This surge in child marriages is mostly due to the loss of jobs and rise in financial struggle among the lower class citizens of Bangladesh.
Research has found that there is a deep-rooted link between poverty and child marriage.
With schools shut down, it was simple for poverty-ridden families to consider their young girls as financial burdens, and marry them off for the sake of their safety and the family’s financial relief.
This means that over 11,000 girls are victims of what is now a crime as per the Child Marriage Restraint Act 2017, which states that girls must be aged at least 18 and boys must be at least 21 to be eligible for marriage.
Section 9 of the child marriage prevention law also states that if any person solemnizes or conducts a child marriage, it shall be an offence for which they shall be punished.
This law, however, is widely glossed over and disregarded by many Bangladeshis due to the lack of enforcement.
An early marriage affects both a child’s mind and body in a plethora of harmful ways.
Children go through a lot of changes and growth during their teenage eras – both psychologically and physiologically, and forcing them to carry out a role meant for adults disrupts that growth seriously.
They are thrust into a lifestyle full of responsibilities that they aren’t prepared for, and are stripped of their individual right to form a life of their own.
Instead of carrying out their education, they are forced to take care of their husbands and a family also which most often translates to doing whatever they are told to do.
On top of that, children who are married off with low levels of education are at a higher risk of domestic and sexual violence, and maternal complications due to early pregnancies.
Child marriage is a human rights violation, a form of gender-based violence, and an increasingly pressing issue in Bangladesh.
Despite being illegal, this gross phenomenon, through the parents’ continuing lack of awareness and understanding of why it is wrong, has found a way to remain prevailing. It is now more crucial than ever for authorities to take stern action and enforce the laws strictly to protect the young girls of our country.
(Nafisah Nubah is studying A-level, AS School: Dhanmondi Tutorial, Dhaka ).
