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Date: November 22, 2024 Fri
Time: 11:55 am
Time: 11:55 am
Results for child marriage (malawi)
1 results foundAuthor: KidsRights Title: Innocence Last: Child Marriage in a Global Context, with a Focus on Malawi Summary: Child marriage, according to international human rights authorities, is defined as any marriage below the age of 18 years. Sometimes involving boys, but mostly girls, it is a global issue which affects children before they are physically or emotionally mature enough to deal with the consequences. The practice violates a host of children's rights including the right to an education and the right to protection from sexual abuse. 14 million girls under 18 get married every year, in some poorest countries of the world. Marriage is seen as the only option for most of these girls, whose families often struggle to pay for their upkeep, and receive a bride wealth on the occasion of their marriage. Young wives must leave school, and often become pregnant, facing the increased risks of mortality and complication that early pregnancy brings. Worldwide, 70,000 girls under 19 die every year in pregnancy or childbirth, and infants born to mothers under 18 are 60% more likely to die in their first year. Malawi has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, with one in 36 women dying in pregnancy or childbirth. Malawi has the eighth highest rate of child marriage in the world, with over half of girls marrying under the age of 18. It is one of the world's poorest countries, with 61% of the population living below the poverty line. Despite the Malawian government's efforts to eradicate child marriage through national legislation, the practice continues to be accepted within communities, reinforced by customary laws. Child marriage is almost twice as prevalent in rural areas of the country. The legal minimum age of marriage in Malawi is 18; or 15 with the consent of parents. It is illegal to force any child into marriage, but not technically criminal (just "discouraged") for a child younger than 15 to marry. Children have been known to marry as young as 12 years old. The government of Malawi is currently reviewing its minimum age legislation, and a national debate is taking place about whether the minimum age with parental consent should be raised to 18. Gender inequality is part of the problem in Malawi; girls are at a disadvantage not just at home but also in wider society, where their economic alternatives are extremely limited. Often married to older men, in exchange for a sum of money, young wives are very vulnerable to domestic violence. Education is seen as the most powerful tool in the fight against child marriage. Those girls who stay longer at school improve their economic potential, and are statistically far less likely to marry young. At the moment, only 5% of girls in Malawi complete their secondary education. For child marriage to end, the practice must be kept high on the global human rights agenda. In Malawi, local perceptions of the practice need to change. Girls, their families and their communities must be informed of the risks of early pregnancy, the benefits of an extended education, and the human rights to which all children are entitled. Details: Amsterdam: KidsRights Foundation, 2014. 26p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 22, 2014 at: http://www.kidsrights.org/Portals/1/About%20us/KidsRights%20Report%20Malawi%20DEF.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Malawi URL: http://www.kidsrights.org/Portals/1/About%20us/KidsRights%20Report%20Malawi%20DEF.pdf Shelf Number: 133085 Keywords: Child Marriage (Malawi)Child Protection |