Every year, more than 12 million girls are forcibly married before the age of 18. These girls see their right to childhood and education stolen, and their future prospects and development limited. Defined as the customary, religious or legal marriage of persons under the age of 18, the early marriage of a girl takes place before she is physically, psychologically and legally ready to assume the responsibilities of marriage and motherhood.
From a legal standpoint, early marriage is a violation of children’s rights that often has its origins and consequences in other forms of violence perpetrated against them. It constitutes a serious violation of the fundamental human rights of girls, who are thus deprived of their childhood and adolescence..
On a socio-cultural and religious level, customs relating to marriage, in particular to its conception, the way in which spouses are chosen and the age gap between spouses, form the basis of the practice. In most West African societies, the traditional conception of the family is that of an extended social unit with several households, within which fertility is maximized by marrying off girls as soon as they reach puberty. This family, within which solidarity and a communitarian way of life are organized, i.e. where the interests of the community take precedence over those of individuals, is also an economic production unit. Marriage itself is conceived essentially as an arrangement between two families, requiring neither the personal consent of the spouses nor a specific age, but rather a decision taken by the elders. The early marriage of a daughter can also be explained by the need to conform to tradition and/or religion. It also serves to control girls, particularly their sexuality, and to protect them from early pregnancy, which could bring dishonor to the family. Finally, the early marriage of a girl appears to be a means of strengthening ties within and between communities, even if economic reasons tend to be increasingly significant. Indeed, beyond traditional and cultural factors, early marriage is practiced in many communities as a strategy of economic survival and social protection, given the poverty-stricken situation of families.
In terms of economic justifications, poverty is a very common cause of the practice, as girls are given to older, wealthier men in exchange for money to support the family. Interviews conducted in Togo with some of the victims of early marriage show the impact of economic factors and poverty on the practice. Young girls aged 9 to 12 are given in marriage for the modest sum of 35,000 CFA francs, or to repay a debt ranging from 75,000 to 100,000 CFA francs contracted by their parents. These practices, which are in fact very short-term solutions to the economic difficulties experienced by families, fail to integrate a sense of perspective and conceal the fact that today’s choices can have unfortunate repercussions on the future of girls. Indeed, these choices risk jeopardizing the qualitative advances expected in sustainable human development, especially for girls.
Being married before reaching the age of majority is prohibited in the vast majority of countries in the world, including Sub-Saharan Africa. But even though it is officially forbidden, governments struggle to enforce the law. This practice remains a reality for many communities.
Worldwide, 1 in 5 girls is forcibly married before the age of 18. This phenomenon can be explained by:
1. Gender inequality: In societies where child marriage is practiced, girls and women have a lower status than men. Girls are married young because they are considered a burden on the family and their well-being is not a priority.
2. Poverty: In developing countries, a girl is often considered a burden. Marrying a girl allows her parents to have one less mouth to feed, to enrich themselves and to create strategic alliances with another family.
3. Certain traditional practices: In many countries, a family’s honor depends on female virginity. Parents marry off their daughters long before they are ready to have sexual relations, to prevent them from becoming pregnant and becoming unmarriageable.
4. Lack of birth certificates: 230 million children worldwide are not registered at birth. Girls with no legal identity cannot provide proof of their young age, which would prove the illegality of an early marriage.
5. Non-enforcement of laws: Even when early marriage is prohibited, many families ignore it and/or break the law. In some countries, this violation is so widespread and normalized that sanctions are rare.
6. Emergency situations: Precarious situations (conflicts, natural disasters, humanitarian crises) increase the economic pressure on households, leading families who would never have considered it to marry off their daughters too young.
- Early and forced marriage has serious consequences not only for a girl’s life, but also for her community and country as a whole:
- Violence and sexual abuse: Child marriages often involve violence and sexual abuse on the part of the husband, and sexual relations are often forced.
- Health risks: These include early pregnancy, the leading cause of death among 15-19 year-olds, as well as HIV, because even if a girl has had the chance to receive sexual education, she is rarely in a position to negotiate safe sex.
- De-schooling: Once married, a girl is considered an adult and is taken in charge by her husband. She has no interest in going to school. Domestic chores and child-rearing leave them no time for it anyway. And yet, educating girls is the best way to combat poverty. An educated girl gives birth to fewer children and, aware of the importance of education, ensures that her children receive a quality education, thus combating early marriage.
- Perpetuation of patriarchal systems and poverty: Early marriages prevent women from escaping poverty by perpetuating existing patriarchal systems. This is an unjust situation and a huge lost potential for the development of individuals, communities and countries..
The Women Leaders Network for Development – Réseau des Femmes Leaders pour le Développement (RFLD) is leading initiatives to combat child marriage in Togo. RFLD :
– Raises awareness among parents and local authorities about the dangers of early marriage and girls’ rights;
– Raises awareness among children and young people to inform them of their rights and teach them how to defend them;
– Advocacy with state actors to strengthen existing laws and its application
– Fights against barriers to education to keep girls in school (access to school, school fees, safety at school, installation of drinking water points and proper sanitary infrastructures, fight against child labor, etc.);
– Supports young girls and boys who campaign in their communities against child marriage.
Child marriage in Togo has a detrimental impact on the sexual and reproductive health of young girls. They are more exposed to complications related to pregnancy and childbirth, sexually transmitted infections, domestic violence, and mental and emotional health problems. It is imperative to actively engage in the fight against this phenomenon in order to protect young girls and guarantee them a promising future.
