Child spouses in 2001, exploring both the reasons behind the perpetuation of child marriage and its harmful impact. New findings on child marriage in subsaharan africa. In pursuit of its ambitious vision of eliminating child marriage by 2025, the government is implementing a mix of interventions at different levels. In order to contextualise our findings on child marriage we begin with a brief overview of the progress that has been made to date and challenges still facing.
Far less attention has been paid to child marriage in subsaharan africa, where prevalence rates remain high. Child marriage and psychological wellbeing in niger and. Early marriage is at its most severe in ethiopia, though prevalence varies from one region to another. A guide for global policy action makes a strong case for international action, and strengthens the advocacy efforts of development practitioners and womens and childrens rights activists to end child marriage. In simple terms, child marriage is the marriage of a person aged before majority. This is the first story in a fourpart series offering a rare glimpse into the lives of child brides in ethiopia and how icrw is making a difference for them. The the causes, consequences and solutions to causes, consequences and solutions tocauses, consequences and solutions to forced forced forced child marriage child marriage child marriage in the developing worldin the developing world testimony submitted to u. April 2011 ethiopia has one of the highest rates of early marriage in. April 2011 ethiopia has one of the highest rates of early marriage in the world, with one in two girls marrying before her 18th birthday and one in five girls marrying before the age of 15. House of representatives human rights commissions human rights commission.
Child marriage prevention programs while one in three girls in developing country will be married before age 18, most child marriage prevention programs are smallscale and unevaluated. Yet investments to end the practice remain limited across the globe. Child marriage, defined as marriage of a child under 18 years of age, is a silent and yet widespread practice. Crvs birth, marriage and death registration in ethiopia. According to the most recent demographic and health survey data from 2011, the median age at which ethiopian women marry is 16. Child marriage is a fundamental viola tion of human rights. Ending child marriage united nations population fund. Ethiopia s approach to addressing child marriage is part of a broader initiative that aims to address harmful traditional practices affecting women including child marriage and female genital mutilationcutting fgmc. Early marriage in ethiopia overseas development institute. Most african countries with high rates of child marriage have civil laws that prohibit child marriage and set minimum marriage ages. New yorkaddis ababa, 8 march 2016 a new multicountry initiative to accelerate action to end child marriage will help protect the rights of millions of the worlds most vulnerable girls, unicef and unfpa said on international womens day. In ethiopia, the rate of child marriage is three times higher in the northern region of amhara 75 per cent than in the capital city of addis ababa 26 per cent.
Similarly, while a study from ethiopia found that partner relationship. In terms of scholarship and international attention, the region is often overshadowed by the child marriage hotspots of subsaharan africa and southeast asia. Child marriage briefing ethiopia population council. Today, over 60 million marriages include girls under the age of 18 years. The 2016 ethiopia demographic and health survey 2016 edhs was implemented by the central statistical agency csa from january 18, 2016, to june 27, 2016. The countrys national strategy emerged in the context of ethiopias aim to reach middle income. The prevalence of child marriage in ethiopia is 58 per cent for the age group 2549 years, according to the ethiopian demographic and health survey 2016. Marriage celebrated abroad in accordance with the law of the place of celebration shall be valid in ethiopia so long as it does not contravene public moral. The causes, consequences and solutions to forced child marriage. We are now unable to decide on the marriage affairs of our children without their consent.
Child marriage is still the norm in ethiopia where the most recent national figures suggest that more than half 58% of all women aged between 20 and 49 in 2011 were married by the legal age of 18 csae 2012a. Girls most at risk each dot represents a country in every region, the poor are most at risk of child marriage percentage of women aged 20 to 49 years who were married or in union before age 18, by place of residence child marriage is most common in rural areas 100 80. Case studies typical cases and outliers 24 question guide. The prevalence of child marriage drops below 25 percent in only two countries in west africa. When girls are allowed to be girls, everybody wins. Girls support programs and child marriage prevention of the women in the world today, approximately 250,000,000 were married before the age of 15, and another approximately 450,000,000 were married between the ages of 15 and 18 united nations childrens fund 2014. Child marriage is relatively less common in east africa, where malawi was the only country in which half of women born between 1985 and 1989 reported being married before 18. The practice of child marriage in ethiopia has shown. Using data to target and scaleup girls support programs. Child marriage is also another women rights abuse where most ethiopian rural women are facing some time now. Background besides, the presence of national law, the country has to set up its own midterm and long term goals to bring about a significant reduction in child marriages in ethiopia. Ending child marriage in africa human rights watch.
The impact and cost of child marriage prevention in rural. But some countries have shown they can keep young girls out of wedlock. Early marriage is a violation of childrens human rights. Zewde fentaw dances during her wedding ceremony in shumshah kebele, lasta woreda unicef ethiopia 2015bindra. Child marriage is prevalent in africa, with almost 40% of girls being married before age 18. Key informant interview for general exploration of issues related to child marriage and education 15 7. In 2006, pathfinder international ethiopia conducted a crosssectional communitybased study of the incidence, reasons for, and the personal and social consequences of early marriage in. Ethiopia has undergone economic growth over the past decade. Empowered and educated girls are better able to nourish and care for their children, leading to healthier, smaller families. This includes child and early marriage, as people under 18 are not able to give full consent. Early marriage denies girls their right to make vital decisions about their sexual health and wellbeing. It includes child and early marriage, as people under 18 are not able to give full consent.
Laws, customs and practices that oppress or cause bodily or mental harm to women are prohibited. Of the 41 countries worldwide with a child marriage prevalence rate of 30 percent or more, 30 are in african union countries. A major report by save the children has found that one girl under the age of 15 is married every seven seconds. A program to delay child marriage in rural ethiopia. The national roadmap applies across all contexts in ethiopia, including in humanitarian and emergency situations which may exacerbate risks of child marriage and fgmc for girls, reduce access to protective services, and have crossborder dimensions. Impacts of child marriage in ethiopia fertility and population growth child marriage has a large impact on how many children. Child marriages in india the red elephant foundation december 20 e 4 introduction child marriage refers to the marriage of a child younger than 18 years old,1 in accordance to article 1 of the convention on the right of the child. Promising initiatives include the launch in ethiopia on may 29, 2014 of a continentwide campaign to end child marriage, and the appointments in ethiopia of a. Ending child marriage and meeting the needs of married.
Poverty is one of the factors which leads to child marriages in ethiopia. Early childbearing declined in ethiopia, largely driven by a parallel reduction in early. Jun 01, 2014 in ethiopia, according to the essential condition of marriage of the revised family code, article 7, specifies the legal marriage age of both boys and girls as follows. Child marriage and relationship quality in ethiopia. Ethiopia, after ratification of several international human right instruments took legislative and.
Though it might be shown to benefit some individuals in some. Child marriage often occurs in the shadows of poverty and gender inequality, impeding efforts to empower girls and boys and achieve longterm, sustainable development. The preponderance of the evidence produced historically on child marriage comes from south asia, where the vast majority of child brides live. This brochure explores the data and statistics behind those stories.
Meeting the child brides of ethiopia bbc news youtube. According to usaid, forced marriage is a marriage at any age that occurs without the free and full consent of one or both spouses. Usaid child, early, and forced marriage resource guide v forced marriage. Evaluated child marriage programs are heavily concentrated in south asia, with bangladesh and india topping the list. A number of recent reports on child marriage deserve mention, as they offer new data, summarize the range of programs, or frame the issue in new ways. Pdf the incidence of child marriage is not only in nepal but also in the world.
Information on civil registration systems was compiled over a period from december 2016 to november 2017 using the existing relevant legal frameworks and in consultation with crvs experts, officials within the relevant national institutions, and unicef country offices. While child marriage is widely considered a human rights issue closely connected to gender inequality, 1 the significance of the practices impacts at both the individual and societal levels suggests that ending child marriage may play an important role in alleviating poverty and in promoting economic development. Neither a man nor a woman who has not attained the full age of eighteen years shall conclude marriage council of the amhara national state 2003. Although the definition of child marriage includes boys, most children married at nov 25, 2015 child marriage in africa often ends a girls education, exposes her to domestic violence and grave health risks from early childbearing and hiv, and traps her in poverty, human rights watch said. Ending child marriage in a generation page 3 these programs have taught us a lot about where we should be focusing our efforts to prevent, delay, and mitigate child marriage. Ethiopias approach to addressing child marriage is part of a broader initiative that aims to address harmful traditional practices affecting women including child marriage and female genital mutilationcutting fgmc. Ending child marriage is now part of the sustainable development goals. Research synthesis the effects of divorce on children. Fagan and aaron churchill january 11, 2012 introduction each year, over a million american children suffer the divorce of their parents.
Sep 22, 20 only a few programs focused exclusively on child marriage. Child marriage and infant mortality evidence from ethiopia jorge garc a hombrados phd student university of sussex jorge garcia hombrados u. Pdf child marriage in ethiopia a matter of concern i. Pdf child marriage and psychological wellbeing in niger. Compared with adolescents with no education, those with elementary and secondary or higher education had a 50 and 82% lower risk of early childbearing, respectively. The funding for the 2016 edhs was provided by the government of ethiopia, the united states agency for international development usaid, the government of. Child marriage prevalence is the percentage of women aged 20 to 24 years who. To address this gap, we use largescale populationbased data from evermarried women aged 1845 in niger n 2764 and ethiopia n 4149 to examine the association of child marriage with. Ethiopia recently adopted a strategy to end child marriage, and some of the projects being implemented in the country should contribute to reduce the. Article 36 sets out the rights of children and states that all actions zshall be in the best interest of the child.
Many girls and a smaller number of boys are married without their free and full consent. Ethiopia acceded to the convention on the rights of the child in 1991, which sets a minimum age of marriage of 18, and ratified the convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women cedaw in 1981, which obligates states to ensure free and full consent to marriage. By international conventions, 18 years has been established as the legal age of consent to marriage. October 2005 and the newly adopted criminal law of ethiopia. A qualitative study on the causes and consequences of. Ending child marriages new laws bring progress but hurdles.
Ethiopia is at one end of the continuum from criminalization to noncriminalization in the legal approach to child marriage in africa. A 20 study pdf published by anastasia gage, supported under the usaidfunded measure evaluation project, sheds new light on how exposure to behavior change communication bcc affects knowledge and attitudes on cm among parents and guardians in amhara region. While 18 is set as the legal age of marriage in the revised family code of 2000, special provisions in the criminal code of 2005 article 649 criminalizes child marriage. In ethiopia, we focused our good practice assessment on amhara regional state, which has the countrys lowest median age at first marriage 15. The digest provides guidelines towards ending the practice of child marriage through changing attitudes within families and societies, expanding opportunities for education, offering appropriate support to. Child marriage and infant mortality evidence from ethiopia. Ethiopia, too, has historically had very high rates of child marriage, particularly in areas such as amhara, where the child marriage rate as recently as a decade ago rivaled that in niger, though available data suggest a significant recent decline in prevalence. For most programs, child marriage was a goal entwined with achieving other health, welfare, or empowerment outcomes for adolescents and youth. Girls not brides is a global partnership of more than 0 civil society organisations committed to ending child marriage and enabling girls to fulfil their potential. Child marriage is not a norm itself, but reflects other gender and social norms 5. Marriage at any age that occurs without the free and full consent of one or both spouses. Contested understandings and practices of female child marriage and circumcision in ethiopia 2 summary this paper explores local perspectives on female child marriage and circumcision in ethiopia. The causes and consequences of early marriage in the. Child marriage is a marriage or similar union, formal or informal, entered into by a child or youth under a certain age, typically age eighteen.
Despite challenges, ending early marriage in ethiopia is. This is most obvious where we see growing investment in girls education and active girls clubs. Sussex child marriage and infant mortality 21062017 1 29. The practice of child marriage in ethiopia has shown significant decline in recent years.
Number of women and men aged 18 years and older who were married or in union before ages 15 and 18. Child marriage briefing ethiopia child marriage is a fundamental violation of human rights. I was p reg n a t, hd olk f m yus b housework, deal with inlaws, and work on. Despite being prohibited by international law, it continues to rob millions of girls under 18 around the world of their childhood. Each day, tens of thousands of girls worldwide are married while still children, often before they may be physically and emotionally ready to become wives and mothers. New evidence on child marriage prevention in ethiopia. Child marriage remains a deeply rooted tradition in ethiopian communities. Both practices are widespread still, despite international and national efforts to eradicate. The national costed roadmap to end child marriage and female genital mutilationcutting fgmc national roadmap has been produced by the ministry of women, children and youth mowcy of the federal democratic republic of ethiopia, with the technical and financial support of the united.
The causes, consequences and solutions to forced child. Child, early and forced marriage occur throughout the world, in both high and lowincome countries. Ending child marriage will help break the intergenerational cycle of poverty by allowing girls and women to participate more fully in society. Evidence from ethiopia 2 young lives policy brief 21 july 2014 child marriage is still the norm in ethiopia where the most recent national figures suggest that more than half 58% of. Ending child marriage in africa i faced a lot of problems in marriage. Child marriage violates the rights of children and has widespread and long term consequences for child brides and grooms. This work is a result of a series of technical consultations on child marriage. However, it still keeps the record of being one of the worlds poorest countries. Harmful traditional practices and child protection ethiopia. Adolescent childbearing trends and subnational variations. Essential conditions of marriage article 6 consent.
A valid marriage shall take place only when the spouses have given their free and full consent. Sep 08, 2016 the nepal government has failed to take sufficient steps to end child marriage, in spite of promises to do so, and girls and boys across the country continue to be deeply harmed by child marriage. Usaid promotes dissemination and use of new evidence on effective strategies for child marriage prevention. Daily chart child marriage in africa persists graphic. Introduction child marriage refers to any marriage of a child younger than eighteen years old, in accordance to article 1 of the convention of the right of the child. It is both a symptom and a cause of ongoing development challenges, as the practice of child marriage further contributes to. In ethiopia, once among africas top five countries for child marriage, the practice has dropped by a third in the past. A 2017 world bank study shows that ending child marriage in ethiopia could. Many girls and a smaller number of boys are married with out their free and full consent. During group meetings, mentors used a manual developed by the. Despite challenges, ending early marriage in ethiopia is possible. In ethiopia, two in every five girls are married before their 18th birthday and nearly one in five girls marries before the age of 15. The countrys national strategy emerged in the context of ethiopia s aim to reach middle income.
Divorce causes irreparable harm to all involved, but most especially to the children. Amhara region has the highest rate of earlyadolescent marriage in ethiopia. Ending child marriage in a generation ford foundation. Ethiopia is the 16th highest nation in the world for child marriage. Surprising new evidence on child marriage in ethiopia.
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