Focus on tertiary education to end child marriage

According to a report of UNICEF, Bangladesh has the fourth highest rate of girl's child marriage before the age 18, in the world and highest pervasiveness in the Asian region. Due to child marriage, Bangladesh faces various kinds of socio-economic barriers. Health hazard has been treated as a substantial negative consequence of child marriage among various factors. For neutralizing this prevalence, the problem could be addressed with more enrolment and retention of the higher education of a girl child.

Child marriage is defined as 'customary, formal, or informal marriage' of a girl or boy who is below the age of 18 in general but it varies across the country. A study revealed that as of the year 2020, despite a declining child marriage rate of about 11% in the previous decade in South-East Asia; around 30% of women got married as minors, and about one-fifth of girls (17%) were married before 15 years of age, which is still alarming for this region. According to UNICEF, Bangladesh attained child marriage rate of 59% in 2020; the highest rate of child marriage of girls in South Asia before the age of 18 years which is treated as child rights violation and discrimination against women.  Bangladesh is consistently in higher position of both girl-child marriage and adolescent motherhood rates that cause higher birth rates. Child marriage hinders a certain group of population to be converted into human resources.

Poor economic and social conditions, improper education, unawareness, and religious superstitions are prime factors responsible for child marriage in Bangladesh associated with other causes of social insecurity, unemployment, rituals, parents' consciousness to shield the chastity of their daughters, and ambiguous implementation of related laws of the country. Adverse effects of child marriage then come out with dropping out of school, health problems, economic problems, population problems, increase of dowry which are barriers to social and economic development of Bangladesh. In these circumstances, Bangladesh should consider it as a serious social issue and identify the problem to resolve pin pointedly.

Child marriage takes an immense toll on health, especially on reproductive health as pre-mature maternity, low birth weight, child morbidity and mortality, and malnutrition for both mothers and children are serious consequences of child marriage. Risk of anemia, toxemia, and increased risk of neonatal and infant mortality are also severe consequences of health-related issues. Research revealed that in South Asia, women aged 15 to 19 are probably to be doubled to die because of pregnancy and childbearing complexities in comparison to women aged 20 to 24 years. Bangladesh has one of the highest adolescents (15-19 years) fertility rates, comprising 82 births per 100 women as of 2018 and child marriage provokes that rate to be increased for which Bangladesh is likely to be combating with more health hazard.  

Various research found that child marriage and pre-mature maternity are significantly linked with education. The pervasiveness of pre-mature maternity was higher than twice amongst uneducated women compared with educated women. Without improving retention of education for girls, the country will not be able to eradicate child marriage.Studies constantly revealed that girl child's marriage is responsible to quit school early and very few girls can complete their secondary education.

Recent research has observed that halting child marriage a year links to an expansion of half a year of education. It has also been shown that increasing rate and retention of higher education for girls is potential for employment generation, health education, and ability to take decisions that help them to access quality healthcare services including reproductive health and safe delivery, especially in rural areas.

A portrayal to reduce girls' child marriage and early motherhood requires appropriate interventions. Gender responsive budgeting and increasing allocation of budget with subsidy in health and education along with cross cutting sectors would be striking momentum to retain girl child's education in secondary and higher level which will bring positive effect of reducing girl child's marriage and health care service. This intervention would enable them to be converted into human resources and the nation will get a good opportunity to involve them in the development process of Bangladesh while Bangladesh is already in a development trajectory hurdle because of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Least Development Country (LDC) Graduation target.

Child marriage rate in Bangladesh gradually declined from 66% in 2014 to 59% in 2020 through government's, intervention. Even though, the continuous higher rate of child marriage and adolescent motherhood rate may cause for delaying the probability of accomplishing SDGs on child and women's health, education, quality life and decent work, and gender equality. Hence, for socio-economic improvement and to attain SDGs and LDC graduation, reducing child marriage has to be considered as a mandate.

However, there is a pressing need to evaluate the existing policy for necessary adjustment and targeting intervention programs to keep Bangladesh on track to attain SDGs by 2030 and LDC graduation by 2026. Since, it has been observed that health hazard causes serious barrier due to child marriage and attaining education is one of the most essential factors to remove that barrier, these two factors need to be addressed in government policies simultaneously to eradicate child marriage.

The writer is Additional Director, Bangladesh Institute of Governance and Management (Affiliated with University of Dhaka)