Tackling Child Marriage Will Take Education, Enforcement
“Cultural traditions are hard to change. We have to work within existing community structures and bring recognition to communities about how child marriage compromises opportunities and health for women and their children.”
So says Anita Raj, professor of community health sciences at Boston University School of Public Health, in an article in the August 4 issue of JAMA. The article cites Raj’s research in India, where almost half of women aged 20 to 24 years marry before they reach their 18th birthday, as well as related studies of the physical abuse experienced by young women in nations where child marriage is common.
It also mentions a new intervention program that Raj is involved in, which seeks to educate young men about reproductive issues. The project entails training local providers of health care — usually men — to counsel young husbands in rural areas about the benefits of proper health care for women, with particular attention to family planning and medical services during labor and delivery.
Violence and abuse can be diminished, Raj says in the article, only if India and other countries change their preference for giving birth to boys and make a concerted effort to allow girls to contribute to society. Ironically, many families say they want to protect their female children from sexual violence by marrying them off early.
“That motivation is entrenched in the communities, so we need to demonstrate that there are other options,” she said.
The full article is available online.
Submitted by Lisa Chedekel