by David Kavanagh

Human Rights Watch has today released a 20-page report calling for African governments to better coordinate efforts at ending child marriage across the continent.

This comes almost three months after African and global leaders adopted the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, part of which committed them to ending the practice within the next 15 years.

Through on-the-ground investigation and engagement with victims of child marriage, the report determined that children who are forcefully married off before the age of 18 are often faced with devastating life-long consequences that violate their human rights as a result.

This includes increased risk of exposure to physical and sexual abuse from their partners, serious health issues, such as HIV, or early death from childbearing.

It also contributes to girls being cut off from education altogether at an early age and becoming further trapped in poverty.

According to Girls Not Brides, a global activist partnership between over 550 civil society organisation from over 70 countries, 15 million girls are forced to marry every year around the world.

A majority of them seem to be in Africa which hosts 15 out of 20 of the countries with the highest child marriage rates.

In sub-Saharan Africa alone, 40% of girls are married before adulthood.

The UN’s Children’s Fund (UNICEF) predicts that by 2050, 310 million girls will have been forced to marry in Africa, a significant increase from the current 125 million.

HRW’s senior Africa women’s rights researcher Agnes Odhiambo said that although those in power have since recognised the problem, a lot more has to be done.

“Government leaders across Africa often say the right things about child marriage, but have yet to produce the political commitment, resources, and on-the-ground help that could end this harmful practice,” she said.

In late November, the African Union held its first ever African Girls’ Summit on Ending Child Marriage designed at encouraging legal reform, sharing information about preventative practices and highlighting the effects child marriage can have on individuals and communities.

However, HRW research in places like South Sudan, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Tanzania suggests a lack of comprehensive national strategies, coordination and consensus ultimately undermines the efficacy of government efforts.

In fact, in at least 20 African countries, child marriage is still legal.

Poor education, poverty that compels parents to “sell” their children into marriage, and stigmas against adolescent pregnancy outside of marriage further compel people to partake in the practice.

“African governments should make a commitment to comprehensive change that includes legal reform, access to quality education, and sexual and reproductive health information and services,” said Mrs Odhiambo.

“Governments should set the minimum age of marriage at 18 and make sure it is fully enforced, including by training police and officials who issue marriage certificates.

“Since government officials can’t bring about change alone, they should work with religious and community leaders who play an influential role in shaping social and cultural norms.”

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