Child marriages — grave violation of human rights

TOPIC: Child marriages, resurfacing during the pandemic, is a grave violation of human rights, and a serious threat to a child’s dignity. What do you think?

Problems like child marriages are on the increase in order to reduce the financial burden of the families. Children aren’t mature enough to get married, both physically and emotionally. They may even contract AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. Child marriages are also a serious violation of human rights as such girls are more likely to suffer in future due to lack of stability. It is a huge threat to their dignity and education. Instructing young girls and teenagers on this subject is one of the most powerful weapons against child marriage. Childhood and adolescence isn’t for PARENTHOOD, GROOMS and BRIDES!
Anjali Wadekar
Holy Cross Convent High School, Kolhapur

Child marriages often leave children, especially girls unable to learn new skills or earn an income. Early marriage is a harmful practice that denies girls their rights to make vital decisions about their sexual health and well-being.
Vaishnavi Bharti (15)
St Joseph Convent High School, Jethuli, Patna

Child marriage is formal or informal union before age 18. It is a violation of children’s rights and a form of gender-based violence that robs the childhood of children. Child marriage disrupts their education and drives vulnerability to violence, discrimination and abuse. As a result of the sexual violence and poor access to health care, girls become easy victims of child marriage.
Vaishnavi Narayan (14)
St Joseph’s Convent High school, Jethuli

Child marriage badly affects a child’s dignity, and so must be viewed within the context of force and coercion, involving pressure and emotional blackmail. Children do not have any choice here or capacity to give their full consent.
Rashmo Mehta (14)
St Joseph’s Convent High School, Jethuli, Patna

Before the COVID-19 pandemic began to spread, more than 100 million girls were expected to marry before their eighteenth birthday in the next decade. Now up to 10 million more girls are at risk of becoming child brides as a result of the pandemic. This is really tragic, and we should come together and fight against this insult to the human dignity of children and teenage girls.
Shailja Sultaniya (14)
St Joseph’s Convent High School, Jethuli

Child marriages have been resurfacing in the country during the pandemic, resulting in lockdown. As there is no source of income, the responsibility of a girl child becomes a burden. So the parents marry her off. As a result of this the child goes through an emotional dilemma in addition to having the pressure of household responsibilities. Moreover, her human dignity is also lost. At this age, the child should study, play and enjoy her days rather than taking up the burden of a family.
Ananya Mohanty (12)
SAI International School, Bhubaneswar

Every pandemic calls for devoted efforts by the administration; so in the wake of this pandemic we are witnessing many social evils like child marriages resurfacing. Child marriage should be abolished because it violates a child’s dignity by placing them at a high risk of violence, exploitation and abuse!
Bhavya (11)
St Joseph’s Convent School, Jalandhar

Childhood is that stage of growth which needs to be enjoyed by a child. It is said, once gone it never returns. Child marriages have remained a serious issue since ages. The pandemic which has brought about closure of educational institutions, financial instability, isolation, etc. has also led to a massive upsurge of this social evil. Children who marry in childhood face lifelong consequences by being away even from primary education. We must work collectively to save the future of our children.
Guneev Kaur (14)
St Joseph’s Convent School, Jalandhar

The Covid-19 pandemic has affected the poor the most who are facing economic hardship. Many parents consider the girl child a burden on the family, and getting them married seems to them the only way to ease that burden. Such marriages destroy their childhood which is a time for them to learn, to play and enjoy life. Besides, child marriages violate their human rights of children, as well.
Gursheel Kaur (13)
St Joseph’s Convent School, Jalandhar

During the lockdown, schools were shut, jobs were lost and mid-day meals were not given. As a result, economically weak parents think of getting their girls married early. But, it is really a threat and insult to their human dignity and basic rights. Girls when married early lose their education, health and holistic growth. They are at an increased risk of domestic violence, early pregnancy, other complications and even death.
Janisha Bhatia (12)
St Joseph’s Convent School, Jalandhar

The pandemic that broke out a year and a half ago has indirectly led to a drastic increase in social crimes. Child marriage is one such social crime. It creates obstacles to mental development, education and cause under age pregnancy in a girl child. The pandemic and lockdown have reversed decades of progress made in reducing child marriages. Our educational institutions and the youth of the country should wake up and wage a war against child marriages.
Mahi Mehta (12)
St Joseph’s Convent School, Jalandhar

Governments, NGOs and all law abiding citizens should come together to totally eliminate all social evils particularly that of child marriages from our country. Let’s keep this in mind as we think and work collectively towards wiping away all harmful practices like early and forced marriages, and all forms of violence against women and girls for good.
Prina Bhardwaj (14)
St Joseph’s Convent School, Jalandhar