In Asia, the pandemic has put many families in a precarious situation. The consequences are alarming that this could lead to an increase in early marriages. Explanations.
The health crisis calls into question many human rights, including those of young girls. Indeed, in Asia, many families are struggling to make ends meet financially because of the pandemic. In Indonesia, India, Pakistan and Vietnam, some people have lost their jobs. Many people find themselves unable to feed their children, seeing an alarming precarious situation. NGOs and associations are worried about a real step backwards concerning children's rights. Many parents would, in fact, be forced to marry their daughters so that she would be in a more privileged and less financially delicate situation.
According to Rolee Singh, India campaign leader 1 Step 2 Stop Child Marriage, early marriage is more and more common in recent times : "We have seen an increase in underage marriages during confinement. Unemployment is spreading. Families are struggling to make ends meet and think it is better to marry their daughters", she explains through a press release.
If we do not act now, this health crisis risks turning into a child rights crisis
According to the UN, currently, each year, 12 million young girls are married before the age of 18 around the world. The figures are alarming despite the work of associations and NGOs to protect children and raise awareness of the seriousness of early marriage. The pandemic may well increase this practice and increase it to as many as 13 million married girls over the next ten years. This is why urgent measures must be taken, according to the UN.
Previously, education was seen as an effective way to counter forced marriages. The more little girls study, the more likely they are to be socially and financially independent. The pandemic and lockdown have not helped maintain children's access to education, with schools closed. In a statement UNICEF explains: "Educated and empowered girls are better able to feed and care for their children, resulting in smaller, healthier families. When you let girls be girls, everyone wins "
In Indonesia, there are the most early marriages. According to UNICEF, between January and June 2020, Islamic authorities have granted more than 33,000 underage marriages. These figures greatly alarm NGOs. In order to prevent early marriage as much as possible, UNICEF calls on the government to provide for the needs of the most precarious families: "As millions of parents struggle not to lose their livelihoods and income, governments must step up social protection measures by adopting programs and policies that enable families to access vital health services, nutrition and education. "