Addressing the long-term consequences of child marriage necessitates multifaceted methods that focus on empowering girls, fostering gender equality, ensuring access to education and healthcare, and changing social norms and attitudes towards child marriage. Legal reforms, community participation, and awareness-raising efforts should also be implemented to address the underlying causes and consequences of child marriage.
There are many long term impacts of child marriage, which includes limited education, health consequences, increased vulnerability to domestic violence and many more.
When girls are married off at a young age, their education is discontinued when they drop out of schools. This denies them the opportunity to increase their knowledge, qualifications and skills and this leads to the start of poverty as the girls are not able to fully participate in a workforce.
Child brides are often victims to early pregnancies. These pregnancies occur when the girls’ bodies are not ready for it and isn’t fully developed to bear children. This results in complications during the course of pregnancy, childbirth like premature births, low birth weights, and maternal mortality. These have severe health impacts on the mother physically, emotionally, mentally etc.
Child brides are much more susceptible to domestic violence both by her partner and the in-laws which includes emotional, physical, sexual abuse. This perpetuates a cycle of violence against them and further degrades their mental and physical conditions.
Child marriages contribute to population growth, mainly in high prevalence rates regions. When girls marry and start having children at a young age, they are more likely to have larger families. Overpopulation can strain limited resources, exacerbate poverty, and hinder economic and social development.
Additionally, Child marriage perpetuates social and economic disadvantages across generations, reinforcing the cycle of poverty. Girls who are married off at a young age are more likely to have children at a young age, prolonging the cycle of poverty and limiting their offspring’s possibilities. This has a negative impact on the development of families, communities, and societies as a whole.
Child brides are often denied autonomy and control over their lives. They have limited decision-making power within their families and communities, which restricts their ability to advocate for themselves, exercise their rights, and participate in social and political spheres. This lack of agency hinders their personal development and contributes to gender inequality.
Child brides have little to no decision making power in their lives. They are often denied autonomy and control over their lives. They have limited decision-making power within their families and communities, which restricts their ability to advocate for themselves, exercise their rights, and participate in social and political spheres. This lack of agency stops their personal development and contributes to gender inequality.