Curse of child marriage
Child marriage means marrying off girls at an early age, mostly in early teens. It is not only a curse but also amounts to violation of human rights. For a girl of rural origin the prime reason for marrying off at an early age is economic. It exerts worse effect on the young girl, society, her health and even on her children in later days. Because young girls are not ready for taking the responsibilities and roles of being a wife, life partner of an adult man and a mother.
Historically, child or early-age marriage is also a problem for the male-children. But its intensity has decreased in this days.
Child marriage has a serious negative impact on their psychological well-being and physical development. They have to face many domestic pressures. They become subject to physical assaults by their husbands. Besides, they are often forced to bring more dowries from their parents. If they fail to bring such dowries, they are harassed, tortured and sometimes even physically violated leading to fatal death. In our traditional society there always remains the gender inequalities.
Raising social awareness on the negative impacts of child marriage is one of the best solution. Moreover, adopting a clear and unambiguous position on child and forced marriages, introducing laws to rise the legal age of marriage to 18 years as a universal law, education for every children can become the effective ways to solve the dreaded problem. It should be eradicated globally as soon as possible.
At the top of all, it is the society which must take the moral obligation to fight and end the curse as it is its very own creation.
Bithee Debi
Department of Business Administration, SUST,
Sylhet.
