THE EFFECT OF EARLY MARRIAGE The studies show that the early marriage has inflicted dangerous and

devastating effects on young children who are compelled to tie the knot in most cases. According to survey, One of the main reasons for child labour, unemployment, low literacy rate and poor health standards in Pakistan is the early marriage (Early marriages in Pakistan). These dangerous effects of early marriages are not only in Pakistan but in all the areas of the world where early marriages are practised. Early marriage deprives the child of their basic education and learning. For example, in Karachi a girl named Sassi was forcefully married to a 70 year-old man by her father when she was just 11 and was a school student in the government school. After the marriage, she was forced to quit her school and was several times sexually abused by her husband. Luckily she escaped from the custody of her husband and is now working with an NGO (Latif). This is not the only case; there are thousands of cases where girls have to give up their studies for their households that leave them with little ability to earn their own living. Similarly married boys have to give up their education in order to earn for their families. (Bayisenge)

Moreover, one of the main effects of early marriage is the increase in the number of children. An early married couple is usually expected to have more children than a relatively late married couple (Early marriage).The study, by UNICEF, show that there is always a negative correlation between the time of marriage and the number of children, the early the marriage is larger will be the size of the family. This causes an increase in the size of the overall population which worsens the social life of the common people and increase unemployment, child labour and poverty in the society. In Pakistan, for example, early marriages are mostly practised in the rural areas where the average children per couple are 7.49 and these rural areas are economically and socially the most backward areas of the country. (Early marriages in Pakistan)

In case of early marriage, early child bearing and unwanted pregnancies are well documented. Young girls who get married will most likely be forced into having sexual intercourse with their, usually much older, husbands. This has severe negative

health consequences as the girl is often not psychologically, physically and sexually mature. Early marriage is associated with early child bearing. Young married girls are under tremendous pressure to prove their fertility in the first year of marriage. Girls, who marry young, inevitably have children early, and have many children, because their knowledge of contraception is poor and their power to negotiate its use is weak. Besides that, it will increased risk of dying, increased risk of premature labour, complications during delivery, low birth-weight, and a higher chance that the new born will not survive (UNICEF). Pregnancy-related deaths are the main reason for mortality in 15 to 19 year-old girls. According to the studies, mothers in this age group have 20 to 200 % more chances of deaths during pregnancy than 20 to 24 yearold mothers. The health problems linked to early marriage not only affect the pregnant mother and the foetus, but also continue after childbirth. Evidence shows that infant mortality among the children of very young mothers is higher sometimes two times higher than among those of older peers (Early Marriage).

Early marriages also have great psychological effects on the life of the girls. Indian researchers on child marriage in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh state that girl spouses suffer more than boys: Inadequate socialization, discontinuation of education, great physiological and emotional damage due to repeated pregnancies devastates these girls.(Khan) It is a huge responsibility for the girl to become wife and mother and because young girls are often not prepared for these roles, this heavy burden leaves a serious impact on their psychological welfare, their perceptions of themselves and also their relationship. Also the mental and emotional stress in girl brides is high because they are not old enough to cope with maternal, marital or in law issues. Very often, the only option for girls and women in situations of extreme marital stress is to run away. In countries such as Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India and Kenya, many runaways end up in poor urban communities, including brothel communities. Some local NGOs working in this field have begun to assist such girls and women, but their efforts are generally confined to towns and cities (ICRW).

Also, the UK working group found that most of the victims of early marriage, although, suffer from prolonged violence, cannot leave the marriage because of the

economic pressures, lack of family support and other social circumstances. A study in Jordan, published in 2000 found that 26 percent of reported cases of domestic violence were committed against wives under 18(Assani). India, with 67 percent, has one of the highest rates of early marriages and out of which 45 percent women suffer from domestic violence on a regular basis (Admin). Early marriage has also been linked to wife abandonment and increased level of divorce and separation. Child brides also face the risk of being widowed by their elderly husbands. While divorce plunges an early married woman into poverty, young brides who lose their husband face the high probability of not being taken in to marriage again, in these societies (Child marriage).

Finally, these harmful effects caused by the practice of early marriages calls for attention of the United Nations to come up with the laws discouraging the early marriages. Early marriages should be regarded as a violation of the Human Rights and the parties involved in this crime should be charged heavily. Furthermore, the government in each country should make efforts to eliminate poverty and provide education to its population which will result in the decrease in the child marriages (ICRW). The governments should also encourage NGOs which provide girls with a job to increase their economic standards and beware people of the dangerous effects of early marriages. The government must also negotiate with the religious scholars and should seek for their help in eliminating the early marriages (Admin). These actions, if implemented, will surely eliminate the practice of early marriages and will provide an end to its harmful effects.

This research paper has drawn attention towards a social evil of early marriage that has prevailed in the world for a very long time. In the end, it has come up with recommendations for United Nations and government of the countries that will help them get rid of the practice of the early marriage.

http://essays-articles.blogspot.com/2011/03/early-marriages-researchessay_7359.html