Pre-age marriage
Child marriage and adolescent pregnancy are related issues. Apart from depriving a girl of her human rights, early marriage also causes an adverse impact on her health, physical and mental. There is a law that stipulates punishment for contracting early marriage. Despite the existence of that law, what makes child marriage a regular practice in rural areas is a matter to be taken into account. It is the absence of social security for girls, poverty and a social norm that supports child marriage along with related practices such as the dowry system, that bolster this practice in poor sections of society. In order to reduce the rate of adolescent pregnancy, it is imperative to take decisive steps to stop early marriage. Of course, heightened social awareness and stringent enforcement of law can reduce vulnerability of children, especially girls, to early marriage; however, fight against it should also be waged on political and economic fronts.
Ariful Haque
Lalmatia, Dhaka
