Child Marriage: A serious threat to girls

As many of you might have seen, the House Foreign Relations Authorization Act (H.R. 2410) recently passed. This bill included provisions for child marriage prevention, including the creation of a strategy to prevent child marriage by incorporating focus on child marriage into pre-existing programs. The bill also states that there will be increased research into what programs work, what the rates of child marriage are in developing countries, and into what can be done to help. There will also be reports made, because this is an issue that needs to be addressed.

Child marriage is defined as marriage before the age of 18,and there are an estimated 51 million child brides worldwide. Some girls are forced to marry as young at 7 or 8 years old. This practice poses serious health and economic threats to these children. Research has shown that child brides have higher rates of maternal mortality, infant mortality, and violence. Girls under the age of 15 are five times more likely to die in childbirth than older women whose bodies have actually matured enough to bear children. Obstetric fistula is more common in child brides, and they also face a higher risk of contracting HIV. Child brides are often forced to drop out of school and to live in poverty.

All of this shows that child marriage is a serious issue that needs to be dealt with. If current trends continue, there will be an estimated 100 million girls married in the next decade. Not only is this an inhuman practice, but it also undermines all of the U.S's international efforts. If we are seriously trying to decrease maternal mortality and improve the lives of women globally, we absoluetly need to focus on preventing child marriage. It's great that the House passed H.R. 2410, but the Senate still needs to approve it!

Here's what you should do! Watch this PBS special Child Brides: Stolen Lives, and write to your Senate representatives. Tell the government, your friends, family, anyone and everyone that you are horrified by this practice, why this is such a serious issue, and let them know that you think they should support the legislation that will help girls live safer, healthier, and happier lives.