Motherhood in Childhood

day, 39,000 girls are married. Once a girlmarries, she is usually expected to have a baby.About 90 per cent of adolescent pregnancies indeveloping countries are within marriage.About 16 per cent of girls in developing countries(excluding China) marry before age 18,compared with 3 per cent of boys. One out of ninegirls is married before age 15. Adolescent birthrates are highest where child marriage is mostprevalent; and independent of the overall wealthof a nation, girls in the lowest income quintileare more likely to have a baby as an adolescentthan their higher income peers.Child marriage persists for reasons includinglocal traditions or parents’ beliefs that it can safeguardtheir daughter’s future. But more often thannot, child marriage is the consequence of limitedchoices. Girls who miss out or drop out of schoolare especially vulnerable—while the more exposurea girl has to formal education and the better-offher family is, the more likely marriage is to bepostponed. Simply stated, when girls have lifechoices, they marry later (UNFPA, 2012).Married girls are often under pressure tobecome pregnant immediately or soon aftermarriage, although they are still childrenthemselves and know little about sex or reproduction.A pregnancy too early in life beforea girl’s body is fully mature is a risk to bothmother and baby.In 146 countries, State or customary laws allowgirls younger than 18 to marry with the consent ofparents or other authorities; in 52 countries, girlsunder age 15 can marry with parental consent. Incontrast, 18 is the legal age for marriage withoutconsent among males in 180 countries. The lackof gender equality in the legal age of marriagereinforces the social norm that it is acceptable forgirls to marry earlier than boys.Men exercise disproportionate power in nearlyevery aspect of life, which restricts women’s andgirls’ exercise of their rights and denies theman equal role in their households and communities.Unequal gender norms tend to place ahigher value on boys and men than on girls andwomen. When girls from birth lack the sameperceived value as boys, families and communitiesmay discount the benefits of educating andinvesting in their daughters’ development.In addition, girls’ perceived value may shiftonce they reach puberty. Child marriage isoften seen as a safeguard against premarital sex,and the duty to protect the girl from sexualharassment and violence is transferred fromfather to husband.Customary requirements such as dowries orbride prices may also enter into families’ considerations,especially in communities where familiescan pay a lower dowry for younger brides.Families, particularly those who are poor, maywant to secure a daughter’s future where thereare few opportunities for girls to be economicallyproductive. Families may want to buildor strengthen alliances, pay off debts, or settledisputes. They may want to be sure that theirchildren have enough children to support themin old age. They may want to divest themselvesof the burden of having a girl. In extreme cases,they may want to earn money by selling the girl.Families may also see child marriage as analternative to education, which they fear mightmake a girl unsuitable for responsibilities as wifeand mother. They may share the social normsand marriage patterns of their neighbours andcommunity or the historical patterns within theirfamily. Or they may fear that the girl will bringdishonour to the family if she has a child outsidemarriage or chooses an inappropriate husband.48 CHAPTER 3: PRESSURES FROM MANY DIRECTIONS