President: Giampaolo Pioli   |   Editor in Chief: Stefano Vaccara

  • Login
VNY La Voce di New York

The First Italian English Digital Daily Newspaper in the US

  • English Edition
  • Letters
  • New York
  • U.N.
  • News
  • People
  • Arts
  • Lifestyles
  • Food & Wine
  • Travel
  • Italian Edition
No Result
View All Result
VNY
  • English Edition
  • Letters
  • New York
  • U.N.
  • News
  • People
  • Arts
  • Lifestyles
  • Food & Wine
  • Travel
  • Italian Edition
No Result
View All Result
VNY La Voce di New York
No Result
View All Result
in
U.N.
May 23, 2022
in
U.N.
June 7, 2019
0

115 Million Girls and Boys Married as Child: UNICEF Raises Alarm

First ever analysis on child grooms brings global child marriage figures to 765 million

Christiana RemarckbyChristiana Remarck
115 Million Girls and Boys Married as Child: UNICEF Raises Alarm

Village: BERHABAD, Block: JAMUA, District: GIRIDIH, State: JHARKHAND Country: India, 23rd DECEMBER 2016. Girls who have fought child marriage and are today going to school using a transporation facility provided in the village of Berhabad, in Jamua block of Giridih. Earlier school droupouts were frequent especially among girls, due to long distances from the school premises which led to early marriages. Today the transport facility provided under the programme facilitates the girls to attend school and be safe. " Earlier we had to form groups and go to school, and return as boys and men would trouble us on the way," says 17 year old Mamta. Giridih district has one of the highest rates of child marriage in India where 6 out of 10 girls are married before the age of 18. UNICEF Jharkhand in partnership with the Jago Foundation, has launched a pilot programme to make 65 villages "child marriage free" in the district. The programme trains over 500 adolescent girls in the pilot villages. Around 70 adolescent boys and girls groups have been formed under the project. It includes empowerment of adolescents through formation of groups, engagement with religious and caste leaders, awareness generation in villages through folk media and street theatre, formation of village child protection committees, pledge by parents in villages, orientation of stakeholders like block development officers, anganwadi workers, ASHA, school teachers, etc. UNICEF India/2017/Prashanth Vishwanathan Prashanth Vishwanathan's coverage in Jharkhand district - Giridih , Block - Jamua against Child Marriage . UNICEF Jharkhand in partnership with the Jago Foundation has launched a pilot programme to make 65 villages ‘child marriage free’ in the district. © UNICEF

Time: 3 mins read

On June 7, UNICEF reported that an estimated 115 million boys and men were married as children, bringing global child marriage numbers to 765 million. That is over half a billion children, and yet that number only represents 82 countries, less than half the countries in the world. Of the 115 million child grooms, 1 in 5 children, or 23 million, were reportedly married before the age of 15. However, in comparison, girls continue to fare alarmingly worse with 1 in 5 women aged 20 to 24 years old married before their 18th birthday compared to 1 in 30 men.

According to UNICEF, “Marriage before the age of 18 is a fundamental violation of human rights.” It is recognized as such in many international agreements and conventions. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights acknowledges the right to “free and full” consent to marriage. The Declaration states that this cannot occur when “one of the parties involved is not sufficiently mature to make an informed decision about a life partner.” The Convention of the Rights of the Child doesn’t refer to marriage specifically; however, it does relate child marriage to other rights, including the “right to freedom of expression, the right to protection from all forms of abuse, and the right to be protected from harmful traditional practices.” As UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore succinctly puts it, “As we mark the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, we need to remember that marrying boys and girls off while they are still children runs counter to the rights enshrined in the Convention. Through further research, investment and empowerment, we can end this violation.”

Not only does child marriage deprive children of their rights as humans, but it also deprives them of other opportunities, such as jobs and education. In Somalia, almost half of the girls are married before their 18th birthday. In one particular case documented by Dheepa Pandian, a girl named Hoodo was married when she was only 15 years old. After giving birth, she dropped out of school. This is a very common occurrence among Somalian child brides, and as a result, UNICEF has set out to educate the girls on the significance of attending school. It has been a successful initiative as Hoodo and other girls have returned back to school. Child marriage doesn’t just affect girls; boys are just as susceptible to these same outcomes. According to UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore, “Marriage steals childhood. Child grooms are forced to take on adult responsibilities for which they may not be ready. Early marriage brings early fatherhood, and with it added pressure to provide for a family, cutting short education and job opportunities.”

As child marriage continues to devastate the lives of millions of children across the world, I can think of no better way to describe it than in the words of actor and UNICEF goodwill ambassador Orlando Bloom –as  a “social evil”—and hopefully with the continued efforts of UNICEF and its partners, it can be eradicated.

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Christiana Remarck

Christiana Remarck

DELLO STESSO AUTORE

“The Future Does not Belong to Globalists. The Future Belongs to Patriots.” Really?

“The Future Does not Belong to Globalists. The Future Belongs to Patriots.” Really?

byChristiana Remarck
La grande marcia dei giovani: le immagini del Climate Change Strike di New York

Thunberg Drives New York City’s Youth Wild as They Strike for Climate Change

byChristiana Remarck

A PROPOSITO DI...

Tags: child abusechild groomsUnicef
Previous Post

Rocco Commisso è il nuovo proprietario della Fiorentina

Next Post

I Fell in Love with an Israeli Soldier

Discussion about this post

DELLO STESSO AUTORE

Was Former GA Pres. Espinosa’s Success Enough to Reach the Helm of UN?

Was Former GA Pres. Espinosa’s Success Enough to Reach the Helm of UN?

byChristiana Remarck
“Business as Usual is Not an Option” as Strides Toward SDGs Could Be Reversed

“Business as Usual is Not an Option” as Strides Toward SDGs Could Be Reversed

byChristiana Remarck

Latest News

Trump e MeToo, la crisi in Libia e l’Italia all’ONU: il 2017 in 34 immagini

Cina e Russia bloccano all’ONU nuove sanzioni per la Corea del Nord

byEmma Pistarino
Researchers Map DNA of Pompeii Victims for the First Time

Researchers Map DNA of Pompeii Victims for the First Time

byEmmelina De Feo

New York

Brooklyn: nella notte trovato il torso di una donna in un carrello della spesa

Sparatoria in un ristorante cinese di Brooklyn: 1 morto

byLa Voce di New York
Il killer della metro Andrew Abdullah si è consegnato alla polizia

Il killer della metro Andrew Abdullah si è consegnato alla polizia

byLa Voce di New York

Italiany

Lo staff di In Scena!

In Scena! Sipario sul festival del teatro italiano a New York che reagisce alla pandemia

byManuela Caracciolo
Il matrimonio Made in Italy tra Kourtney Kardashian e Travis Barker

Il matrimonio Made in Italy tra Kourtney Kardashian e Travis Barker

byLa Voce di New York
Next Post
I Fell in Love with an Israeli Soldier

I Fell in Love with an Israeli Soldier

La Voce di New York

President: Giampaolo Pioli   |   Editor in Chief: Stefano Vaccara

  • New York
    • Eventi
  • Onu
  • News
    • Primo Piano
    • Politica
    • Voto Estero
    • Economia
    • First Amendment
  • People
    • EXPAT
  • Arts
    • Arte e Design
    • Spettacolo
    • Musica
    • Libri
    • Lingua Italiana
  • Lifestyles
    • Fashion
    • Scienza e Salute
    • Sport
    • Religioni
  • Food & Wine
  • Travel
    • Italia
  • Mediterraneo
  • English
  • Search/Archive
  • About us
    • Editorial Staff
    • President
    • Administration
    • Advertising

VNY Media La Voce di New York © 2016 - 2022
Main Office: 230 Park Avenue, 21floor, New York, NY 10169 | Editorial Office/Redazione: UN Secretariat Building, International Press Corps S-301, New York, NY 10017

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • New York
  • Onu
  • News
    • Primo Piano
    • Politica
    • Economia
    • First Amendment
  • Arts
    • Arte e Design
    • Spettacolo
    • Musica
    • Libri
  • Lingua Italiana
  • Lifestyles
    • Fashion
    • Scienza e Salute
    • Sport
    • Religioni
  • Food & Wine
    • Cucina Italiana
  • Travel
    • Italia
  • English

© 2016/2022 VNY Media La Voce di New York

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In