Why should we participate in the weekend?
Children are gifts, and everyone has a responsibility to nurture and protect them throughout their childhood. Marriage is a serious institution which should be entered into by two people who have a full understanding of the commitment they are making to each other.
All of the faiths are united in these beliefs.​​​​
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What does child marriage have to do with faith?
No doctrine in any religion says that children should be married to each other, or that an adult husband must have a child bride. In fact, leaders of many of the faiths all over the world have publicly stated that child marriage is a violation of the teachings of their religion, as it directly places children in the path of harm. Similarly, faith leaders have provided clear direction that marriage cannot be undertaken by children, as they are unable to make a solemn, informed commitment under their faith.
Why does child marriage still happen?
Discrimination against girls, financial hardship, and lack of access to education and other public services are the main reasons why child marriage still happens today.
In communities impacted by these issues, faith leaders can be a guiding force to prevent child marriages. This can be done through informal meetings with the community or during weekly worship, to remind communities of their duty to nurture and protect children, to respect the solemnity of marriage, and to uphold the law.
How does child marriage impact girls?
Child marriage usually ends a girl’s formal education, limiting her literacy, skills, understanding of her rights, and her ability to raise children healthily. Instead of being in school, a child bride usually takes on many hours of household chores, making her a child labourer. When young girls get married, they are also more likely to be victims of domestic violence, given the power dynamics between a girl and an older husband.
Families sometimes believe that marrying their daughters at a young age will protect them from sexual violence, or stop them from being tempted into pre-marital sexual relations. But child marriage puts girls into situations where they are forced to have sexual relations. Especially for girls who are below the legal age of consent, child marriage is effectively a form of child sexual abuse or child rape.
When a married girl becomes pregnant, her body is unlikely to be developed enough to cope with the strain of pregnancy. This puts her life, and her baby’s life, in serious danger.
No child’s life should be put at risk, and ending child marriage can protect the lives of millions of girls all over the world.
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You can read more about child marriage, its root causes, and its impacts here.