Cause and effect analysis

Student 1

Student 2

Mr. Vu

EFL 094 400

6 April 2019

The Effects of Underage Marriage

Is underage marriage becoming a problem? In most countries, the minimum legal age for marriage is 18 years. However, some countries allow marriages at 15 years. In addition to this, in some communities, when girls start to menstruate, they become women in the eyes of the community. Marriage is then the next step towards giving a girl her status as a wife and mother. Consequently, some people believe that getting married before reaching this minimum legal age is not only illegal but also against human rights. We can see that underage marriage is widely spread in Africa and Asian countries such as Yemen, India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. These countries have shown the highest numbers of underage marriage in the world. Even now, in the twenty-first century, the lives of many women and girls all over the world are still being destroyed by underage marriage. Perhaps more shocking is the fact that underage marriages are taking place in developed countries, such as the USA. For example, the horrific cases of underage marriage, rape, and incest were committed by Warren Jeffs, the former leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He is currently serving a life sentence in prison for the rape of several of his underage wives. In addition, he “married” several other young girls to elders in the church (Weyermann 143). This is the most poignant example of the ill effects of underage marriage in modern day United States. It appears that even in the presence of legal protection, under-age marriage is still a societal problem. Therefore, underage marriage is one of the major human rights violations around the world, which has many effects on girls’ lives, such as health issues, lack of education, and gender inequality.

The first effect of underage marriage are health issues. In some cases, girls get married at a young age without being educated about the fundamentals of married life. For example, some young girls believe that marriage just means getting new clothes, gold, and makeup. In addition, many parents are forcing these young girls to get married because they believe that early marriage is a good way to save them from sexual harassment. Unfortunately, the parents also believe that child marriage will provide them with everything they need in their life. They do not understand that underage marriage has many negative effects on girls’ health. One of the most shocking cases was of an eight-year-old Yemeni girl who died of internal bleeding on her wedding night. (“Yemeni Child Bride”). Other health issues include cervical cancer, malaria, death during childbirth, and complications as a result of giving birth at such a tender age. According to Girls Not Brides, “the children of child brides are at substantially greater risk of perinatal infant mortality and morbidity, and stillbirths and newborn deaths are 50% higher in mothers under the age of 20 than in women who give birth later,” which means that girls who married at a young age are not ready mentally or physically to reproduce. These health issues not only affect the girls themselves, but they clearly affect the girls’ families and the children who are born to them. Here, we see how babies born to young mothers suffer and also how parents of child brides can suffer bereavement. Another factor contributing to the prevalence of under-age marriage is lack of educations and awareness.

The second effect of underage marriage is the lack of education. When early marriage starts, education ends because many girls who get married underage are more likely to drop out of school before or after their wedding. This is commonly due to the responsibilities put onto the new bride, such as taking care of the family and doing the household chores. Therefore, they do not get the opportunity to attend school and finish their education. “States to Campaign for Female Education” discusses a story regarding a young girl who is forced to marry when she was 15 years old to an old man. She has a son now who is four years old, and she lives a hard life because she cannot take care of herself and her son. Also, she lacks many basic necessities that she needs in her life, such as finishing her education. She states that before her marriage, her dream was to become a journalist, and she thought about school a lot. However, now she cannot go back to school (“The Child Within”). Another reason girls drop out of school is because of their parents believing that it is not needed and that the daughter will probably get married and end up becoming a housewife. According to Girls Not Brides “education can be one of the most powerful tools to enable girls to avoid child marriage and fulfill their potential,” (“What is the Impact of Child Marriage”) which means if girls have the option to finish school, they will have the freedom to make their own life decisions and gain the power to their rights. In addition to this, if girls are educated, they will be more aware of the risk of underage marriage. This indicates that women with education are far more likely to improve themselves and their society. One aspect that contributes greatly to the problem of underage marriage is gender inequality.

The third effect of underage marriage is gender inequality. It is not rare that a young girl is involved in an arranged marriage to a much older man. In societies that encourage underage marriage, the girl is arranged to marry whomever her parents think suits her culturally and/or financially. As a result, the girl is taken advantage of and is being controlled by an older man who might treat her as a child. In addition to this, some girls are being taught that her future husband has the right to hit her if she disobeys him. Unfortunately, child marriage in some cases is considered a form of slavery. According to Girls Not Brides, “women and girls represent 71% of modern slavery victims, while children represent 25% of them” (“What is the Impact of Child Marriage”). On the contrary, young girls who get married without an education usually do not have a wide range of careers to choose from, which means that men are given more power and time to have a better chance in their career path. Men are valued while unmarried girls are seen as a threat to the family’s reputation. This is a contradiction based solely on gender and not equality between the two genders.

In conclusion, underage marriage is a serious problem in many societies throughout the world. In addition, not only in under developed countries but developing countries also have cases of underage marriages. As previously mentioned, underage marriage often leads to health issues, especially when these young girls give birth, lack of education, and lifelong gender inequality for these young brides. Underage marriages occur most frequently in under developed and/or developing countries but do occur in the United States. Human trafficking in the United States has become a major issue as has the kidnapping of young girls to be used as “wives” for much older men. Warren Jeffs is the perfect example of a man who uses his power for evil and forces young girls into marriage to much older men. He believed strongly in polygamy and expected all of his followers to do the same. In addition, he believed that men should marry very young girls. Although underage marriages happen all over the world, there are certain countries where it is more prevalent. In particular, countries that have more gender inequality, such as countries in the Middle East, have a larger problem with this issue.

In my experience, as a young Yemeni woman, I was not forced into marriage at a young age. However, I have a friend who was married at 15 years old. She has now been married for five years, has one child, and has been back to school since she was married. Before her wedding, she and I went to school together she was the smartest girl in our class, and she had a bright future ahead of her. She was forced to get married because her family was poor, and her parents believed that her marriage would benefit them financially. In comparison, I am in college, looking forward to a career and hope to get married in the next seven years. My family would never force me or force any of my siblings to get married. My mother and father are beginning to understand that I want to finish school and have a career before I have a husband and family. When I talk to my friend who has been married for five years and tell her that I am tired from school, homework, and studying for tests, she reminds me that this is my future and that the tiredness will go away. In her eyes, it is better to be tired from school at 20 years old than to be tired from taking care of a household, a child, and your husband of five years. Having a friend that has suffered because of underage marriage makes me more determined to put an end to it. Society needs to be more aware of the agony that these young girls go through on a daily basis. Young girls like my friend are depending on us to prevent further suffering.

Works Cited

“The Child Within.” YouTube, updated by Campaign for Female Education-CAMFED, 10 October 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttb8yMcuNcQ. Accessed 28 March. 2019.

Weyermann, Debra. Answer Them Nothing: Bringing Down the Polygamous Empire of Warren Jeffs, Chicago Review Press, 2011. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/durhamtech-ebooks/detail.action?docID=762667. Accessed 28 March. 2019.

“What is the Impact of Child Marriage.” Girls Not Brides, https://www.girlsnotbrides.org/themes/education/. 20 March. 2019.

“Yemeni Child Bride, Eight, Dies on Wedding Night.” The Guardian, 11 September 2013, https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2013/sep/11/yemen-child-bride-dies-wedding. Accessed 25 March. 2019.