One of the leading Non Governmental Organizations (NGO) in Ondo State, the Restoration Of The Dignity Of Womanhood (ROTDOW) again restated the need to end child marriage stressing that it not only violates human rights but also affects negatively the economy and can lead to an intergenerational cycle of poverty.
Speaking on this year’s celebration, the CEO, ROTDOW, Mrs. Olabisi Omolona said child marriage places the victim at high risk of violence, exploitation, and abuse.
While defining Child marriage as both formal marriages and informal unions in which children under the age of 18 live with a partner as if married, Mrs. Omolona further identified challenges associated with this form of union.
“Child marriage ends childhood. It negatively influences children’s rights to education, health and protection. These consequences impact not just the girl directly, but also her family and community”
“A girl who is married as a child is more likely to be out of school and not earn money and contribute to the community. She is more likely to experience domestic violence and become infected with HIV/AIDS. She is more likely to have children when she is still a child. There are more chances of her dying due to complications during pregnancy and childbirth.”
“Child marriage, a deeply rooted social norm, provides glaring evidence of widespread gender inequality and discrimination. It is the result of the interplay of economic and social forces. In communities where the practice is prevalent, marrying a girl as a child is part of a cluster of social norms and attitudes that reflect the low value accorded to the human rights of girls”
“Girls married as children more likely lack the skills, knowledge and job prospects needed to lift their families out of poverty and contribute to their country’s social and economic growth. Early marriage leads girls to have children earlier and more children over their lifetime, increasing economic burden on the household and the society. The lack of adequate investments in many countries to end child marriage is likely due in part to the fact that the economic case for ending the practice has not yet been made forcefully”
“As a result of norms assigning lower value to girls, as compared to boys, girls are perceived to have no alternative role other than to get married. And are expected to help with domestic chores and undertake household responsibilities in preparation for their marriage”
“Evidence shows that critical game changers for adolescent girls’ empowerment include postponing marriage beyond the legal age, improving their health and nutritional status, supporting girls to transition to secondary school, and helping them develop marketable skills so that they can realize their economic potential and transition into healthy, productive and empowered adults”
