Worldwide, one in every three girls is married before they’re 18 and every two seconds another girl is forced into marriage.
In CARE International’s Vows of Poverty: Child Marriage report, the organisation identifies 26 countries where girls are more likely to be forced into a child marriage than enroll in high school. Niger, Chad and the Central African Republic top the list with the reality looking murkier the more we delve into the report. Consider these alarming statistics:
? In Niger, 76 per cent of girls are married before 18, with just 10 per cent of girls enrolled in secondary school.
? In Chad, 68 per cent of girls are married before 18, while just 5 per cent of girls are enrolled in secondary school.
? In the Central African Republic, 68 per cent of girls are married before 18, with just 10 per cent of girls enrolled in secondary school.
Why is this happening?
Gender discrimination, poverty and economic discrimination, cultural or religious customs, inadequate laws, trafficking and kidnapping… the list continues, however, an alarming trend we’re seeing emerge in Syria is related to war and conflict.
A sad reality is that girls often become the first casualties of war – kidnapping, rape, trafficking – such atrocities often lead parents to opt for what is considered a lesser evil: marrying their daughter at a young age to a man they hope will protect and provide for her.
The Syrian war acts as a prime example of war and conflict having grave consequences for girls. CARE’s Protect Her Honour report highlights the spike in registered child marriages.