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The history of child marriage in South Asia started long before the British colonized the country in 1757. It started as a means for the upper castes to protect their bloodlines by finding a match within their caste and religion that met society’s strict guidelines. They were often married at 10 years old or younger and, if the right match was found, even at birth. The couple were married legally and then consummated the marriage as soon as the girl reached puberty. 1 From there, the practice grew and morphed over hundreds of years. During colonization by Western countries, the issue was brought to the forefront. In 1891, the first of many reforms was made to the law concerning underage marriage. However, the damage had been done, and the practice continues to this day despite being entirely illegal now. That is because the law was never the source of the practice. The girls were and are used as a means to an end, whether it’s for a pure bloodline, having one less mouth to feed or due...

Child marriage is culturally complex, but the latest statistics show that ending child marriage is possible. According to UNICEF’s statistics, as many as 25 million underage marriages have been prevented in the last decade. 1 Plus, studies like the one co-authored by MIT economist Esther Duflo show that even having a positive role model like a female politician or leader can completely erase the gender gap in terms of education, expectation of parents for their children regardless of gender and the aspiration of the girls themselves. 2 The MIT study shows that a positive female influence on the child, their family and the community can significantly change the cultural attitude towards women and children. At the heart of a large proportion of underage marriage for girls is the devaluing of the gender in nearly every area of life. Shifting this perspective is essential to the overall issues surrounding a family’s decision to arrange marriage for their little girl. Many areas of a girl’...

Tracking child marriage statistics is important to know if programs and initiatives are working. Many organizations are engaged in ending this human right’s violation through different avenues. UNICEF’s latest statistics on underage marriage show that 25 million child marriages were prevented in the last ten years. 1 This shows that progress has been and can continue to be made. Statistical measurements will need to be kept of the number of children given in marriage, abuse and death in those marriages, poverty status and other markers, as well. Pushing down any one of these statistics is a step in the right direction for girls and women because they are so intertwined in the lives of those most affected. The International Center for Research on Women has named five areas to tackle in order to continue the downward trend of underage marriage: 2 1. Empower girls with information, skills and support networks 2. Provide economic support and incentives to girls and their families 3. Educa...

Two hundred million girls might be alive today if they weren’t, well, girls. 1 That is how many female babies and girls the United Nations estimates have died because they were not born male and were rejected by their families. “Son preference,” as it is called, leads to the pervasive degradation and devaluing of women that can result in a child being given in marriage, a form of abuse that is alive and well in the 21st century. The history of child marriage has its roots in the complex, cultural belief that female human life lacks value. Curses, dowries, employment, poverty and misplaced ideologies all contribute to the varied reasons a family would choose to give their little girl in marriage before the age of consent. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) defines marriage of children as “a formal or informal union where one or both parties are under the age of 18.” 2 Though this can and does happen to boys, it is predominantly an issue for girls. Child ma...