International children’s charity World Vision has warned coronavirus could put an extra 5 million girls at risk of an early, enforced marriage. Deepening poverty caused by pandemic adds financial burdens onto families, causing them to marry daughters early. A survival mechanism to reduce the number of children to support.
Closure of schools, health care facilities leaves girls increasingly vulnerable. Even post-COVID it’s likely many girls will not go back to school. Could undo decades of good work to end the malpractice, encourage education for girls. Working on the ground to combat child marriages is harder to operate during lockdowns.
Pandemic is making it difficult for girls to access reproductive health services, as well. Leading to a rise in risky teenage pregnancies, as a result of child marriages. Worldwide, an estimated 12 million girls are married each year before the age of 18 – 1 girl every 3 seconds.
Absolutely scary statistics. Hope we can make clear, collective, conscious, consistent efforts to protect, ensure a better, brighter future for our girls.
This is the sin of poverty.Of mans inhumanity to man.Of the remnants of Colonialism and Imperialism.Sins that were comitted by even their very own..The second sin is a lack of opportunity and the third is a lack of equitible distribution of land , property and resulting wealth.Parents push their girls into marriage early to relieve the economic burden and they are ill equipped for marriage at any age.15 is not too young if they kave the skills to handle marriage.The west would critisize this early age while it is common place and legal .Bearing in mind the fact that by 15 most students in the west are sexually active.I do not support. So called health services that includes availibility of abortions which only hide the shame of the girl and her parents with no consequences to the boy and his parents.Let the shame shine and the problem of illicit pre marital sex will be solved.Islam is the only system that provides a solution for poverty in its Zakat princilpe.It should be paid directly to those in need.It relieves the poverty in society when applied correctly.