Crises like local weather change and COVID hamper efforts to curb little one marriage : NPR

SACHA PFEIFFER, HOST:

Yearly, an estimated 12 million women worldwide turn out to be brides. That is in line with a brand new report by UNICEF, which finds that, regardless of progress made in eliminating little one marriage, it is nonetheless widespread. And as NPR’s Rhitu Chatterjee studies, current worldwide developments have harm efforts to cease this follow.

RHITU CHATTERJEE, BYLINE: For many years, international locations all over the world have been making an attempt to forestall little one marriages. A few of these efforts have paid off, says Claudia Cappa. She’s senior adviser with UNICEF and an writer of the report.

CLAUDIA CAPPA: During the last 25 years, 68 million little one marriages have been averted.

CHATTERJEE: She says the largest declines had been in South Asia in international locations like India and Bangladesh.

CAPPA: However the report additionally signifies that the progress just isn’t common and it isn’t quick sufficient.

CHATTERJEE: Components of sub-Saharan Africa have a number of the highest prevalence of kid marriages on the planet, and ongoing crises like armed conflicts, the pandemic and local weather change have led to extra little one marriages. For instance, a change in rainfall patterns from local weather change can tip farming households into poverty.

Sarah Barnes is a maternal well being knowledgeable on the Wilson Middle in Washington, D.C.

SARAH BARNES: When a household or a neighborhood experiences crises, there tends to be a rise in little one marriages.

CHATTERJEE: As a result of they imagine that marrying their daughters off early will give them a safer future. However analysis reveals that little one marriage places women at a higher threat of staying poor.

BARNES: Women who marry as kids are much less more likely to full secondary schooling.

CHATTERJEE: Meaning fewer financial alternatives for them. And women who marry early are additionally extra more likely to get pregnant as youngsters.

BARNES: And problems throughout being pregnant and childbirth is the primary explanation for dying for ladies 15 to 19.

CHATTERJEE: Then again, ladies who marry as adults usually tend to full their schooling and have fewer youngsters, which implies a more healthy and extra economically safe future for themselves and their kids.

Rhitu Chatterjee, NPR Information.

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