We are not surprised with the level child marriage has increased in the country during the coronavirus pandemic. In fact, it was feared much earlier that the rate of child marriage would grow at this time. But according to media reports, the number of child marriage in different parts of the country is much higher than that we were concerned about. According to a report of the Manusher Jonno Foundation, about 14,000 child marriages took place in 21 districts of the country in seven months. According to various reports, child marriage is more prevalent in the country and more than half the girls are still married before the age of 18. It is needless to say this child marriage rate has increased to a great extent due to the pandemic.
One of the reasons for child marriage is economic. Since coronavirus has reduced the earnings of low-income people in both urban and rural areas, many families are unable to maintain their nutritional status even if they manage to eat three meals a day. Naturally, there is ample reason for these families to be concerned about the future of their daughters’ education. The families that are struggling to provide three meals a day to their children cannot be blamed if they want to end their responsibilities by marrying their girls off. In case of child marriage, most girls can no longer go to school.
The long closure of educational institutions was also one of the reasons for the increase in child marriage during the crisis period. Despite the existence of a law, child marriages cannot be stopped in any way. There are even allegations that many child marriages are being held with a fake registry with the connivance of some local public representatives and marriage registrars. Hence, action needs to be taken against those who are playing a role in these marriages. It is necessary to strengthen the monitoring activities of the administration to prevent child marriage. It is important to remember that the harms of child marriage are multifarious. On the one hand, marriage and pregnancy at a young age puts the life of a girl child at risk while, on the other hand, the way of development of women as human resources is hampered due to non-continuation of education.
In the existing reality, there is no alternative to multifaceted measures to stop child marriage. First, attention should be paid to increasing social awareness. If the parents realise the disadvantages of child marriage and the benefits of education, they will think twice before marrying their children off. The administration may consider increasing stipends for girls from poor families. Public representatives at local levels are expected to play an effective role in stopping child marriage. If local people become more active, arrangements can be easily made to stop child marriages with the help of the administration. The role of educational institutions, especially teachers, is no less important in preventing child marriages. In addition to making students aware of this curse in the school, teachers should also motivate students to inform them about any possible child marriage incident in their localities. We believe every child has immense potential and that both boys and girls have a right to development. Child marriage destroys this possibility in the beginning. So, there is no alternative to concerted efforts to stop child marriage.
