Human Trafficking: A Global Health Emergency: Perspectives from Nursing, Criminal Justice, and the Social Sciences by Mary de Chesnay & Donna Sabella

Author:Mary de Chesnay & Donna Sabella
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9783031338755
Publisher: Springer International Publishing

4 Child Marriage

Child marriage refers to any formal marriage or informal union between a child under the age of 18 and an adult or another child [10]. The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) estimates that approximately one-fifth of young women are married before their 18th birthday. That is approximately 15 million girls that are married before their 18th birthday each year, totaling 41,000 child brides each day worldwide [11]. Overall, forced marriages have been on the rise since 2016, showing a globally estimated increase of 6.6 million people. A significant portion of these involve children [10]. Roughly 41% of people forced to marry are under the age of 18 [10]. This estimate involves children reportedly as young as 9 years old, although this is a rare occurrence [10].

Forced marriage of children affects both males and females, though females are more likely to be victimized. Approximately 650 million women and girls alive today were reportedly married before the age of 18 [11]. In developing countries, one in three girls are married before age 18, and one in nine are married by age 15. Comparably, 1 in 30 boys are married as children. UNICEF estimates that 115 million boys and men alive today were married before the age of 18. Total child brides and grooms worldwide equate to over 765 million individuals [11].

There are significant health risks associated with child marriage, especially for girls in developing countries. A study in Kenya found that girls married between the ages of 15 and 19 years old were 75% more likely to contract HIV than sexually active, unmarried girls of the same age [11]. The risk of maternal morbidity or mortality increases due to complications with early childbearing. There is a risk for fistula, caused by obstructed labor and birth, that can leave girls incontinent for the rest of their lives if left surgically unrepaired. Additionally, child mothers experience stillbirth 50% more than adult women between the ages of 20 and 29 years old.

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