Education can prevent early marriage

Girls who receive no education are three times more likely to become victims of child marriage

Worryingly, about 67 per cent of girls in the country get married before the age of 18, according to a report in this newspaper yesterday. According to another study, in households where fathers have higher secondary and above education, the rate of child marriage nearly halved and where mothers have education beyond secondary, the rates of child marriage were more than two thirds lower. Girls who receive no education are three times more likely to become victims of child marriage.
Marriage of underage girls is a scourge for an overpopulated and resource constraint country like Bangladesh. Illiteracy, social discrimination, age-old superstition and insecurity of girls are mainly responsible for early marriage of girls. Since about 90 per cent of the total population lives in rural areas, underage marriages are taking place there rampantly. Rural people, deprived of the light of education, marry off their underage daughters not caring about the adverse impacts of early marriage.
A girl may attain puberty even at age 12 or 13. This gives her physical ability to procreate. But procreation is not all; physical, mental and intellectual maturity is needed for a planned family life. Besides, women have to confront many hazards like dowry, divorce, hassles of repeated child-bearing, malnutrition and broken health.
Government has fixed the marriage age for girls at 18. But girls can be married off even at the age of 16 in special cases. Taking advantage of this provision, thousands of girls are being given in marriage. It is contributing to unbridled population growth in the country. Compulsory education for girls up to a certain level can help curb child marriage. An educated girl will not easily succumb to the pressure of early marriage. Her education will provide her a shield. Creating mass awareness can help a lot in this regard. Enactment of law for reducing the rate of child marriage will do little if the overall mindset of the people is not changed.
Government has done a lot for the development of the education sector. Special incentives should be announced for the girls of impoverished families to motivate them to education. Teachers, UP chairmen and members, village leaders, religious leaders like imams of mosques can be involved in the campaign to resist early marriage.

Education can prevent early marriage

Girls who receive no education are three times more likely to become victims of child marriage

Worryingly, about 67 per cent of girls in the country get married before the age of 18, according to a report in this newspaper yesterday. According to another study, in households where fathers have higher secondary and above education, the rate of child marriage nearly halved and where mothers have education beyond secondary, the rates of child marriage were more than two thirds lower. Girls who receive no education are three times more likely to become victims of child marriage. Marriage of underage girls is a scourge for an overpopulated and resource constraint country like Bangladesh. Illiteracy, social discrimination, age-old superstition and insecurity of girls are mainly responsible for early marriage of girls. Since about 90 per cent of the total population lives in rural areas, underage marriages are taking place there rampantly. Rural people, deprived of the light of education, marry off their underage daughters not caring about the adverse impacts of early marriage. A girl may attain puberty even at age 12 or 13. This gives her physical ability to procreate. But procreation is not all; physical, mental and intellectual maturity is needed for a planned family life. Besides, women have to confront many hazards like dowry, divorce, hassles of repeated child-bearing, malnutrition and broken health. Government has fixed the marriage age for girls at 18. But girls can be married off even at the age of 16 in special cases. Taking advantage of this provision, thousands of girls are being given in marriage. It is contributing to unbridled population growth in the country. Compulsory education for girls up to a certain level can help curb child marriage. An educated girl will not easily succumb to the pressure of early marriage. Her education will provide her a shield. Creating mass awareness can help a lot in this regard. Enactment of law for reducing the rate of child marriage will do little if the overall mindset of the people is not changed. Government has done a lot for the development of the education sector. Special incentives should be announced for the girls of impoverished families to motivate them to education. Teachers, UP chairmen and members, village leaders, religious leaders like imams of mosques can be involved in the campaign to resist early marriage.