THIS IS NOT MARRIAGE, THIS IS CHILD ABUSE !!!
I never stop to cogitate on my child-hood years, my child-hood dreams, hopes and aspirations. As a young girl, I had very tall dreams of having a fulfilled life, like getting quality education, becoming a professional, having a rewarding job and then marrying the man of my dreams, building a healthy family with someone whom I love and who loves me in return. Someone who would treat me with respect and honour...
Then out of the blues, these dreams are shattered, completely disorienting you, utterly altering the course of your well-laid out life because you have to grapple with the fact that you are to wed a man. This man whom you hardly know is being foisted on you.... As your husband.
This should be the end of the road for you.....Hope, now hope-lessness.
This is the sad route many a girl-child is forced to thread, a systematic enslavement as a voice-less appendage to the man they are married off to.
marriage violates the right of the child to education, to health, to opportunities. It exposes them to violence through out life and traps them in a cycle of poverty.
Child marriage is a formal marriage or informal union entered into by an individual befor reaching a certain age, usually 18
In Nigeria, 43% of girls are married off before their 18th birthday. 17% are married before age 15.
This practice is pre-dominant in Africa.
THIS IS CHILD ABUSE, NOT MARRIAGE
blood boils and my skin crawls to see this great abuse and injustice done to the girl-child. Their potentials which are meant to be nurtured become so limited, so quenched.
They become so vulnerable to domestic violence, abuse and abandonment. A child barely out of the cradle.... Forced to become a wife and a mother.
What of the implications of getting married and having children before they are physically, mentally and psychologically ready? What of complications of child birth?
What can this injustice be attributed to? Poverty, insecurity, traditions? I don't buy into any of these. What good has this practice ever achieved apart from taking the lives of these young ones, taking their lives away from them and leaving them so empty. What reasons could be more important than their feelings, their emotions, their happiness and their general well-being which in most cases is trampled underneath. Why is no-one considering the pain these ones would have to go through in this whole un-holy practice?
How can we allow this to continue?
How can we allow shattered dreams of this magnitude?
This is a clarion call to all and sundry to rise up against yet another practice targeting the right of the child, let our voices ring out through nooks and crannies, let us stampede this useless culture or tradition out of our lives and give our girls, back their lives.
SAY NO TO CHILD MARRIAGE
Thank you for stopping by my neighbourhood.
Thank you to sound this to the world.
SAY NO TO CHILD MARRIAGE.
Thank you for dropping by.
Thank you for speaking these truths on the Blockchain. Thank you for being a voice for the voiceless. I know together, we can change this sick world.
Ma, you have done me a great honour by coming around. I am simply lost for words. Thank you so much.
Your post that I read every time is sensitizing me more to the plight of these little ones . Remember how you find opportunities to put smiles on faces. You are very dogged at doing that and I pray I will be able to do a little of the much you are doing with so much love. The spirit of #ophumanangels has taken over me.
Thank you again, so much. Together we can change the world.
yes no doubt you are absolutely right.It requires unity
I do believe there is a lot of intricacies and unexplainable fluidities to this subject. One thing is sure, though: forced marriage or mergers done for a kid of any age is terrribly an inane thing to do. Thanks for the steemit awareness.
No matter the intricacies or idiosyncrasies involved, I tell you that this is so utterly wrong. Children are helpless, and let it not be a reason to infringe on their rights. It is so unfair
Child marriage is a very harmful traditional or religious practice, it is a crime in its worst form against childhood. Leaders of nations and legislators should enact severe laws to bring the culprits of such a crime to book ,it is not just enough to keep observing days dedicated to such societal malaise. What is the use of 'The Day of the African Child' if nothing is being done to curb such violations. Let them get done talking already and get to work. Thank you for this very enlightening post.
Thank you so much for your input. I can see us on the same frequency, they should stop talking and start doing.
O yes, we will all fight and SAY NO TO CHILD MARRIAGE ....!!!
Yes dear, let us shout it on our roof-tops till something is done. Thank you so much
This is a total mess that Africans found themeselves simply because of one ungodly culture or a religious belief system that supports under age marriage.The most painful aspect of it is that most people in government are even guilty as some of them practice this barbaric act.Legistlative system is encouraging this as they refuse to make strong law against this menace.Even where laws are made against child marriage, enforcing the law is another battle entirely.How ever, I give kudos to you ma for this post.We should not keep mute until this plague is uprooted from this continent.
It is a big mess but we will keep speaking against it till something is done about it. Thank you so much dear
I blame the parents giving the kids out so early. They can hardly cook meals nor able to change sanitary pads, are they the ones yo be suggested to sex, child bearing and other concerns that comes with marriage. Such sacrilage should not be endorsed or encouraged
Great talk adoore. They can hardly change their sanitary pads. Oh! This is so pathetic. Thank you so much
I have witnessed this firsthand and it pains me when i see people in this generation still been given out in marriage at a very tender age. This puts the child to risk of been infected with sexually transmitted disease and even cervical cancer.
Say No To Child Marriage
Rightly said Ijele. The child suffers it all. Thank you so much
When children are having babies.to me thats child abuse.these kids could be leaders of tommorow,while subject to become mothers at their prime.this should be discontinued.thanks for that timely reminder
Indeed, we want a discontinuation of this barbaric tradition. Thank you so much
I think this shoukd be called MARRIAGE ABUSE you can imagine a girl that is still suppose to be under parental nuture and guide being given out as a wife. Is this not demonic? Marriage is not for boys and girls you know? Honestly,our government really need to fight against this. This act brings psychological trauma to that girl. No happiness,no marital enjoyment from the girl involved. Well, may God intervene.
My dear, marriage abuse indeed. Children forced into marriages, what do they know? God must surely intervene. Thanks so much.