Negative Impacts Of Child Marriage

Young women all over the world including places like Yemen in southwest Asia, Malawi, and Sudan, both in Africa, have dreams of being very successful independent women when they grow up. They envision themselves to become doctors, lawyers, and even teachers. They desire an education to make money and for once in their lives, to not live in poverty. Unfortunately, these young women will never live to see their dreams come true because almost fifty percent of them will be forced into marriage, with a complete stranger who is more than double their age. Child marriages are not uncommon issues in these undeveloped countries. Sadly, young women, as young as eight years old are forced into marriage. They are also forced into having the mindset where society’s sole purpose for women is only to reproduce. Child marriages happen for many reasons. For example, many girls are pressured onto marriages by their family members to they can receive dowry payments. Mothers and fathers are willing to sell off their female children for cows, cattle and other animals to escape poverty. Other young women become pregnant, nine and ten year old girls are getting raped by their boyfriends, or soon to be husbands (Human Rights Watch). They are unaware with what sex even is. They do not have any experience, they are scared and have absolutely no choice or say when put in these hostile situations. Child marriages violate young women’s human rights all over the world and there is not enough being done to stop this from occurring.

Child marriage cause many national and international problems. Some national problems include men passing sexually transmitted diseases like HIV to their wife(s) (Human Rights Watch). This causes women to die faster and puts them th...

... middle of paper ...

...se awareness about the harmful health and consequences of child marriages (Human Rights Watch). International organizations should be made to address the consequences of child marriages and also to prevent them from occurring. Lastly, a nation policy should be developed to help women gain help and knowledge about reproductive health if they need it (Human Rights Watch).

All of these women suffering wish for change in their lives very badly. Women all around the world need their human rights, they need to have a childhood, proper education, and they also need the option to decide when it is right for them to get married, have children, and leave their homes. These things should not be decided for them. They desire freedom, to say, and to be with whoever they want. Women in undeveloped countries should not have life any different than women anywhere else in the world.