This is regarding the story, “UN urges action against child marriage”(Oct. 13). On Dec. 19, 2011, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution to declare Oct. 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child, to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world. For its first observance, this year’s day focused on child marriage, which is a fundamental human rights violation and impacts all aspects of a girl’s life.
Globally, around one in three young women aged 20-24 years were first married before they reached age 18. One third of them entered into marriage before they turned 15. Child marriage results in early and unwanted pregnancies, posing life-threatening risks for girls. In developing countries, 90 percent of births to adolescents aged 15-19 are to married girls, and pregnancy-related complications are the leading cause of death for girls in this age group.
Girls with low levels of schooling are more likely to be married early, and child marriage has been shown to virtually end a girl’s education. Conversely, girls with secondary schooling are up to six times less likely to marry as children, making education one of the best strategies for protecting girls and combating child marriage.
Hope, preventing child marriage will protect girls’ rights and help reduce their risks of violence, early pregnancy, HIV infection, and maternal death and disability, including obstetric fistula. When girls are able to stay in school and avoid being married early, they can build a foundation for a better life for themselves and their families and participate in the progress of their nations. — Naser Mullah, Riyadh
