Early marriage and its devastating effects
A blog post on the harm child marriage is inflicting on girls
Taking a child for early marriage when she is still young may lead to lack of health, lack of care, unwanted pregnancies and she might be overburdened with domestic work.
Lack of health
When a girl is taken for early marriage, she may not know how to keep her children, herself and not even the home clean and healthy. You may find the mother busy with cooking and the children are disposing waste which may cause sickness and diseases later on, for example cholera, diarrhoea and typhoid because of dirty water.
Lack of care
When you take your child for early marriage, she may be irresponsible. She may not be able to handle her home or even to speak to the people of the community. It will be a problem because she is fearing due to the lack of care.
Unwanted pregnancies
When you take your child for early marriage, she will become pregnant and later on and she may give birth through surgery or she may die in the process of giving birth which is not good. Some parents are taking their child for early marriage for reducing poverty at home and in the community, but you won’t reduce unwanted pregnancies by doing so.
Overburdened with domestic work
Overburdening children with domestic work are not good because it may later on affect the children or the child and they will feel some pain on the body such as chest pain and back pain. Carrying heavy things might harm their bodies.
My advice to our parents: Parents, avoid early marriage
The COVID-19 has made it worse with increased rates of unwanted pregnancies and high crime rates.
During this pandemic, many girls have become pregnant because they know that this year is a wasted year- no need for them to go back to school. But no, it is not the way to your future because education is the only way to your future
This pandemic has made some children to join some groups in the areas, other are now thieves, some are drinking alcohol and smoking cigarette which may later on affect the body and even lead to death.
My advice to our parents:
Parents, avoid early marriage
Parents, don’t overburden children with a lot of domestic work
My advice to the children
We children should not refuse to go to school because education is the key to our future because when you educate a girl you educate the whole nation and reduce gender-based violence many girls and women in this country are facing.
Thank you and may God bless UNICEF and Every one of us in Jesus’ name. Amen.
