What is life like for child wives?

Child marriage is defined as a marriage or marriage-like union in which at least one party is a minor. This problem affects minors of both sexes, although the vast majority of victims of this procedure are girls. The most cases of this type are recorded in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa - among the countries with the highest percentage of child brides are Niger, the Central African Republic, Chad, Bangladesh and Nepal. In Bangladesh, almost half of women marry before the age of 18. Data analysis shows that the number of forced marriages is slowly decreasing, but at present about 650 million women in the world are in relationships concluded in this way.

What is the basis of this custom? The answer varies somewhat by region, but most often it is a mix of social and economic factors. One of the most important aspects of this phenomenon is poverty. Daughters are often seen as an economic burden – raising a child is expensive, and unlike sons, daughters will leave home forever after a dozen or so years. To get a “return on investment”, parents marry them off in exchange for a dowry. This may seem cruel, but in the economic realities of the region, families often have no other choice, and it is also a way to ensure the financial security of their daughters.

Tradition also plays a huge role, and a change in legal regulations cannot affect it. In many countries with a high percentage of underage wives, such marriages are prohibited by law, but the rules prevailing among the population are stronger than the code. Wedding ceremonies, although illegal, are recognized by the community, and the dates of subsequent weddings are kept secret, known only to the residents of the town where they will take place. A minor wife is therefore forced to leave her family home and move to her husband's home. Such marriages are also part of a kind of politics - they allow families, tribes or villages to be united.

From the stories of girls and women who married according to tradition, we know that they often do not have even the basic knowledge of what their life will look like after marriage. They did not have access to education, they are not economically independent, so they do not have the opportunity to at least participate in the process of deciding about their own future. Dependent on fathers and husbands, they also have no room for rebellion. After marriage, they are obliged to fulfill all household and marital duties and prove their fertility. We are talking here even about twelve-year-old girls - early marriages are supposed to be a guarantee that the young wife is a virgin free from venereal diseases. Most of them will be infected by their husbands, many of them will not survive the first years of marriage due to illness or complications after childbirth, because their bodies are not yet ready to bear children, and girls do not have access to hygiene products or medical care. They also have no knowledge of how to take care of themselves and their offspring. There are known cases of girls who bled to death due to internal injuries suffered as a result of first intercourse.

In 2008, the world learned about Nujood Ali. A ten-year-old from Yemen, after a year of marriage to a man over 20 years her senior, decided to go to court and file for divorce. After wandering the corridors for several hours, she was noticed by a judge who decided to give her temporary shelter. Lawyer Shada Nasser also became interested in the case and agreed to represent the ten-year-old in court. Nujood testified that she was regularly beaten by her in-laws and raped by her husband. She managed to get a divorce. It seemed like a big breakthrough and a chance for many victims of forced marriages. The reality turned out to be a little less happy. Nujood returned to her family home and published an autobiographical book, the proceeds of which were to be used for her further education - she wanted to become a lawyer. However, according to the law, the publisher was obliged to give the money to her father. In 2013, Nujood said her father threw her out of the house and used the money to buy two new wives. She remarried and had two children.

What can be done to effectively reduce the scale of this practice? The answer is not clear, there is no single solution that could be applied. Marriages entered into by minors vary from country to country, so it is necessary to adapt the method of action to the specific case, taking into account local contexts and traditions. Organizations such as UNICEF are involved in activities for the education of girls, beneficial amendments to legal systems and general increase in social awareness. They establish local foundations, which aim to provide the most effective assistance possible in their area. However, the most important change must take place in the approach of the communities themselves, which allow arranged marriages.