Raising Awareness on Child Marriage in Sri Lanka
- ricrotaract
- Mar 1, 2021
- 5 min read
The South Asian region is known to have one of the highest rates of child marriage across the world. Although the prevalence of child marriage in Sri Lanka is relatively low in comparison to other countries in the region, it is still a pressing issue that needs to be addressed.
Every minute, 23 underage girls are married somewhere in the world. Child marriage is a global issue that has been consistently persistent for decades in many countries. The UNICEF defines child marriage as, “formal marriage or informal union between a child under the age of 18 and an adult or another child”.
Even though child marriage applies to both underage boys and girls, it is invariably young girls that are most often forced into marriage, at a young age when they are incapable of expressing consent. A study conducted by the UNICEF in 2017 found that 12% of Sri Lankan girls are married by the age of 18, and 2% of all girls are married or co-habiting with a partner before their 15th birthday. Based on the definition, some of these marriages are not formal, yet they may be identified as a marriage by the local community.
In 2014, it was estimated that around 16,000 boys and 24,000 girls under 18 were either married or living together in Sri Lanka. This should be an eye opener to the persistent social crisis of child marriage. Factors such as gender inequality, poverty, lack of awareness on sexual and reproductive health, social norms and the lack of education are generally the driving forces of child marriage.
Further, there aren’t strong enough legal restrictions placed on child marriage in Sri Lanka. Laws such as the ‘Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act’ (MMDA) for example, with certain exceptions, justify the marriage of children even under the age of 12, with the consent of their families.
The MMDA has been a contentious issue ever since it was enacted in 1951. There has been a push for reforms by both governmental and non-governmental bodies that aim to end child marriages in all communities in Sri Lanka. The main initiatives include raising awareness in areas where the practice is most prevalent, re-educating community leaders, training law enforcement personnel, providing economic support and educating girls and their families and working to improve girls’ education.
The government has attempted to address this with the proposal of the Minimum Age of Marriage Bill of 2020, which would make it illegal to contract a marriage unless both parties of the marriage are 18 years or older. This would supersede clauses that enable child marriage in other by-laws such as the MMDA.
Sri Lanka is a country that is known to value its traditions that have been passed on by our ancestors. However, it is important to understand that some of these traditions are completely outdated. One such tradition is the concept of ‘dowry’, which is a common practice in Sri Lanka. In the past, as a girl got older, the value of the dowry that should be given on her behalf should increase, hence why some parents wanted to marry off their daughters at a significantly young age, in order to save themselves from the additional financial burden. This explains why some parents give their consent to having their daughters married young even now. Further, the concept of dowry reduces marriage to a transaction and dehumanises young girls that are forced to participate.
Child marriages were notably high during the civil war. It was a tragic consequence of the threat of forced recruitments and abductions of children during the period. Hence, parents chose to marry off their daughters, to protect them from such a fate. It was found that 31% of women and girls interviewed in conflict-affected areas shortly before the civil war ended in 2009 reported they had been married between the ages of 15 and 16. However, even after the war child marriage still remains common in the North and East of the country.
The negative consequences of child marriage anywhere is self-evident. Having children below the age of consent married is an undeniable human rights violation. The harm it causes include,
- Ending the child’s education and acting as a barrier to gaining further vocational and life skills, especially for girls.
- Exposure to the risks of childhood pregnancy; early marriage leads to early childbearing, which carries a high risk of causing serious health complications and even maternal or infant death. Girls between the ages of 15 and 19 are twice as likely to die of pregnancy- related reasons as women between the ages of 20 and 24.
- Increased risk of sexual violence due to vulnerability.
- Increased risk of domestic abuse.
- Increased risk of suffering from mental disorders as a result of the emotional trauma caused by childhood marriage.
It is of utmost importance that religious leaders are targeted when conducting awareness campaigns in communities with a high prevalence of child marriage. Religious and community leaders are highly venerated in some rural areas, and hence have a major role to play in combatting child marriage in those areas.
It has been recognised that poorly educated girls who are linked to economic strife are more likely to be victims of this practice. Which is why investments should be made for the economic empowerment of women, which is key in achieving gender equality. Policies must be implemented to ensure that girls’ education is not cut short for unjustifiable reasons. Completing school gives girls a choice in life, allowing them to play an active role in their communities. Underage girls who are married are most likely to quit school.
Further, gender discrimination must be urgently dealt with. Raising awareness on the equal capabilities of woman and eliminating the discrimination against women in the workforce will contribute to ending child marriages in the long run. Girls will be encouraged to pursue their education and parents will be less inclined to have their daughters married off early.
According to the UNICEF, child marriage has decreased worldwide from one-in-four girls married a decade ago to approximately one-in-five today, which is commendable progress. The South Asian Region too has witnessed a major decline in child marriages in the last 10 years. A girl’s risk of marriage before 18 has dropped by more than a third, from nearly 50% to around 30%. Yet even today, more than 12 million girls under 18 years are married each year. 650 million girls and women alive today are known to have married as children.
There is no quick fix to end child marriage. However, progressive measures have prevented 25 million child marriages in the last decade. This shows that efforts to combat child marriage have been effective. Every child marriage prevented gives another girl a chance to reach her full potential. It is our moral duty to ensure the end of this harmful practice.
References:
By: Rtr. Dulithi Jagoda, BSc. Economics and Finance, 2nd Year
Rtr. Alex Rajapakse, LLB, 1st Year
Rtr. Amaya Wijesingha, LLB, 2nd Year
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