Early Marrige
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
A Girl- child refers to a young female human being below the age of majority, according to the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (Oxford, 2012). Girl child marriage, also known as early marriage age refers to marriage of a child younger than 18 years old in accordance to article one of the conventions on the rights of the child.
Reproductive Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well being and not merely the absence or infirmity, in all matters relating to the reproduction and to its functions and processes, World Health Organization (WHO, 2005)
Studies have shown Girl-child marriage is a world wide phenomenon but is most prevalent in Africa and Southern Asia and although its practice has decreased in recent decades, it remains common in, although not only confined to, rural areas and among the most poverty stricken, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA, 2005). In Africa, the United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF,2005), estimated that 42 percent of girls are married before the age of 18 and in some African countries the figure is much higher, such as in Niger where 76 percent incidence of child marriage .
The age at which children are married also varies between countries. But marriage before the age of 15 is not uncommon in some areas of West Africa. In parts of Ethiopia and Nigeria, numerous girls are married before the age of 15, some as young as 7 (UNFPA, 2005)
Despite poor countries enacting marriageable laws to limit marriage to a minimum age of 16 and 18, depending on jurisdiction, traditional marriages of girls of younger ages are widespread. Poverty, religion, tradition, and conflict make the rate of child marriage in sub-Saharan Africa similar to that in South Asia (Nour, 2006).
Girl child marriage has considerable implications for the social development of the child bride, in terms of low levels of education and poor health seeking
INTRODUCTION
1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
A Girl- child refers to a young female human being below the age of majority, according to the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (Oxford, 2012). Girl child marriage, also known as early marriage age refers to marriage of a child younger than 18 years old in accordance to article one of the conventions on the rights of the child.
Reproductive Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well being and not merely the absence or infirmity, in all matters relating to the reproduction and to its functions and processes, World Health Organization (WHO, 2005)
Studies have shown Girl-child marriage is a world wide phenomenon but is most prevalent in Africa and Southern Asia and although its practice has decreased in recent decades, it remains common in, although not only confined to, rural areas and among the most poverty stricken, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA, 2005). In Africa, the United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF,2005), estimated that 42 percent of girls are married before the age of 18 and in some African countries the figure is much higher, such as in Niger where 76 percent incidence of child marriage .
The age at which children are married also varies between countries. But marriage before the age of 15 is not uncommon in some areas of West Africa. In parts of Ethiopia and Nigeria, numerous girls are married before the age of 15, some as young as 7 (UNFPA, 2005)
Despite poor countries enacting marriageable laws to limit marriage to a minimum age of 16 and 18, depending on jurisdiction, traditional marriages of girls of younger ages are widespread. Poverty, religion, tradition, and conflict make the rate of child marriage in sub-Saharan Africa similar to that in South Asia (Nour, 2006).
Girl child marriage has considerable implications for the social development of the child bride, in terms of low levels of education and poor health seeking