End child marriage in Africa

End Child Marriage in Africa

Fact Sheet
African Union
Commission
What is Child Marriage?
Child marriage is the formal or informal union of a child or adolescent before the age
of 18.
1


Te African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child defnes a child as
a person under the age of 18 years, and the African Youth Charter defnes a minor as
a person between the ages of 15 and 17.
Statistics on Child Marriage
An estimated 58 million young women in developing countries have been mar-
ried before the age 18 -- one out of every three.
2

Tere are 41 countries worldwide with a child marriage prevalence rate of 30
per cent or more, and of these, 30 are in Africa.
3
UNICEF reports that nearly four out of every ten young women in Africa were
married or in union before the age of 18.
4
1 UNICEF (2001). Early Marriage: Child Spouses. Innocenti Research Centre, Florence.
2 Population Reference Bureau (2011). Who Speaks for Me? Ending Child Marriage. Washington, DC.
3 Te countries are Zimbabwe (31%), Senegal (33%), Congo (33%), Gabon (33%), Sudan (34%), Sao
Tome & Principe (34%), Benin (34%), Cote dIvoire (34%), Mauritania (35%), Gambia (36%), Cameroon
(36%), Tanzania (37%), Liberia (38%), Nigeria (39%), Democratic Republic of the Congo (39%), Ethiopia
(41%), Zambia (42%), Somalia (45%), Uganda (46%), Eritrea (47%), Burkina Faso (48%), Sierra Leone (48%),
Madagascar (48%), Malawi (50%), Mozambique (52%), Mali (55%), Central African Republic (61%), Guinea
(63%), Chad (72%) and Niger (75%). Source: UNFPA database. Household surveys (Demographic and Health
Survey and Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey) completed between 2000 and 2011.
4 UNICEF (2014). Children in Africa: Key Statistics on Child Survival, Protection and Development.
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
2 Fact Sheet
End Child Marriage in Africa
Figure 1: Percentage of women aged 2024
years who were frst married or in union before
ages 15 and 18, by region, 20052012.
5
0 10 20 30 40 50
Central Africa
Southern Africa
Western Africa
Eastern Africa
Northern Africa
World (except China)
Married or in union by age 15
Married or in union between
ages 15 and 18

In seven African countries, over half the total pop-
ulation of young women was married before the
age of 18: Niger (74.5 per cent), Chad (71.5 per
cent), Mali (70.6 per cent), Guinea (63.1 per cent),
Central African Republic (60.6 per cent), Mozam-
bique (52 per cent), and Malawi (50.2 per cent).
6

Correlation between Poverty and Child
Marriage
Countries with a high prevalence of child marriage
tend to have a low gross domestic product (GDP).
According to UNICEF, girls living in the poorest
20 per cent of households in Cote dIvoire are three
times as likely to be married before the age of 18 as
are girls in the richest 20 per cent of households.
In Senegal, the poorest girls are four times as likely
to be married before age 18 as the richest.
7
Poverty,
gender-based violence and gender discrimination
are key drivers of child marriage.
5 Ibid.
6 Population Reference Bureau, op. cit.
7 UNICEF (2005). Early Marriage: A Harmful
Traditional Practice. Paris.
Interplay between Child Marriage and
Maternal Mortality
Te leading causes of maternal mortality and mor-
bidity for girls under the age of 18 are pregnancy
and childbirth. Child brides are almost always mar-
ried to older men and lack the standing or skills to
negotiate over sex or birth control. Child brides are
more likely to experience high rates of birth, high
maternal and child mortality, obstetric fstulae,
premature births, still births, sexually transmitted
diseases (including cervical cancer) and domestic
violence. Te child of a mother aged 18 and under
has a 60 per cent or greater chance of dying in its
frst year.
8
Harmful Traditional Practices
Every social grouping in the world has specifc
cultural practices and beliefs, some of which are
benefcial to all members, while others are harmful
to a specifc subgroup, such as girls and women.
Traditional practices that harm girls and women
8 UNICEF (n.d.). Child Protection from Violence,
Exploitation and Abuse. New York. Available from http://www.
unicef.org/protection/57929_58008.html.
End Child Marriage in Africa Fact Sheet 3
include child marriage, female genital mutilation/
cutting (FGM/C), breast ironing, force feeding,
various taboos or practices that prevent women
from controlling their own fertility, nutritional
taboos, traditional birth practices, son preference,
female infanticide, early pregnancy and bridal
dowry.
9
Despite their harmful nature and their
violation of international human rights laws, such
practices persist and require a concerted efort by
all stakeholders for their elimination.
A Violation of Human Rights
Child marriage is a violation of human rights,
compromising the development of girls and often
resulting in early pregnancy and social isolation.
Girls married early usually have little education or
vocational training. Child marriage therefore rein-
9 United Nations Ofce of the High Commissioner for
Human Rights (n.d.). Harmful Traditional Practices Afecting the
Health of Women and Children, Fact Sheet No. 23. Geneva.
forces the gendered nature of poverty.
10
In view of
this, declarations against child marriage have been
included in a number of legal instruments at the
continental and international level (see following
page).

10 UNICEF (2005). Op. cit..
International Human Rights Framework for the Eradication of Child Marriage
According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948, article 16[2]), marriage shall
be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.
The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (1979)
establishes that the betrothal and the marriage of a child shall have no legal effect, and all
necessary action, including legislation, shall be taken to specify a minimum age for marriage
and to make the registration of marriages in an offcial registry compulsory (article 16[2]).
The Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) defnes a child as any person less than
18 years of age (article 1) and decrees that States shall take all effective and appropriate
measures with a view to abolishing traditional practices prejudicial to the health of children
(article 24).
4 Fact Sheet
End Child Marriage in Africa
African Human Rights Framework for the Eradication of Child Marriage
The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (1990) requires that 1. States Parties
to the present Charter shall take all appropriate measures to eliminate harmful social and cultural
practices affecting the welfare, dignity, normal growth and development of the child and in par-
ticular: (a) those customs and practices prejudicial to the health or life of the child; and (b) those
customs and practices discriminatory to the child on the grounds of sex or other status; 2. Child
marriage and the betrothal of girls and boys shall be prohibited and effective action, including leg-
islation, shall be taken to specify the minimum age of marriage to be 18 years and make registra-
tion of all marriages in an offcial registry compulsory (article 21).
The Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights on the Rights of Women in Af-
rica (Maputo Protocol, 2003) determines that States Parties shall prohibit and condemn all forms
of harmful practices which negatively affect the human rights of women and which are contrary
to recognized international standards. State Parties shall take all necessary legislative and oth-
er measures to eliminate such practices (article 5). Article 6 focuses on the issue of marriage,
requiring State Parties to ensure that women and men enjoy equal rights and are regarded as
equal partners in marriage. They shall enact appropriate national legislative measures to guaran-
tee that: no marriage shall take place without the free and full consent of both parties; the mini-
mum age of marriage for women shall be 18 years.
Several other African Union legal and policy frameworks directly relate to the eradication of child
marriage, namely:
The African Youth Charter
The African Union Continental Policy Framework on Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights
and the Maputo Plan of Action for Its Implementation
The African Union Campaign on Accelerated Reduction of Maternal, Newborn and Child
Mortality in Africa (CARMMA)
The Charter for African Cultural Renaissance
The African Womens Decade
The Fifth Strategic Priority of the African Unions Strategic Plan 20142017 as well as the
African Unions Agenda 2063.
End Child Marriage in Africa Fact Sheet 5
Consequences of Child Marriage
Psychosocial well-being: A UNICEF report in-
dicates that loss of adolescence, forced sexual
relations, and denial of freedom and personal
development have profound psychosocial
and emotional consequences.
11
Girls who
are married as children are isolated in their
struggle with these problems, because these
issues are often perceived as a natural part
of life. Especially in cases where the husband
is much older, there is an obvious imbalance
of power between the couple, which provides
an environment conducive to physical and
sexual abuse. It is noteworthy that, in many
countries, girls who are married have not
yet reached the legal age for sexual consent
however, because they are married, sexual
intercourse with these children is not consid-
ered rape.
Sexual reproductive health and rights: Women
who are married before the age of 18 have
more children. Pregnancy-related deaths are
a leading cause of mortality for both married
and unmarried girls under the age of 18, due
to their often under-developed reproduc-
tive systems and to lack of information and
qualifed medical assistance. Unequal power
relations and lack of education means that
these young women cannot negotiate safe sex
with their husbands. Tis leaves many with
an increased risk of HIV infection and other
sexually transmitted diseases.
11 UNICEF (2001). Op cit.
Infant health: Besides the negative and possi-
bly fatal consequences of pregnancy for girls,
infants born to adolescent mothers are also 60
per cent more likely to die in their frst year,
and are more likely to be malnourished.
12

Education and economic empowerment: Early
marriage, in many situations, means that girls
will not be allowed to go to school and receive
even an elementary-level education. Parents
and husbands do not see the point of allowing
a girl to go to school if she is already fulflling
what they believe is her role in society being
a wife and having children.
13
Te girls lack
of education in turn contributes to isolation,
high infant mortality and economic depen-
dency.
12 Population Reference Bureau (2011). Op. cit.
13 UNICEF (2001). Op. cit.
6 Fact Sheet
End Child Marriage in Africa
Linkage between Child Marriage, Ob-
stetric Fistula and Female Genital Muti-
lation/Cutting
In Africa child marriage, obstetric fstula and Fe-
male genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) are, in
many cases, interconnected.
Fistulae are holes that form, after pregnancy and
child birth, between the vaginal wall and the
bladder and/or the rectum. A fstula has severe
physical and social consequences and is one of the
greatest health risks for child brides. Girls below
the age of 18 are often not fully developed enough
to permit the safe passage of a baby during child
birth. Prolongued and obstructed labour may lead
to the formation of an obstetric fstula. Fistulae
cause urinary and feacal incontinence and, in ex-
treme cases, even paralysis of the lower body. Social
consequences include divorce, which can be tragic
where girls are economically dependent on their
husbands and do not have access to education and
professional training.
14

A girl who has undergone FGM/C is also at higher
risk for obstetric fstula. FGM/C comprises all
procedures involving partial or total removal of
the external female genitalia or other injury to the
female genital organs for non-medical reasons.
Te procedure is largely performed on young girls
sometime between infancy and age 15. More than
125 million girls and women alive today have been
cut in 29 countries in Africa where FGM/C is
concentrated. Estimates based on the most recent
prevalence data indicate that 91.5 million girls and
women above 9 years old in Africa are currently
living with the consequences of FGM.
15
When
FGM/C involves infbulation, that is, the narrow-
ing of the vaginal orifce with creation of a covering
seal by cutting and appositioning the labia minora
(inner lips) and/or the labia majora (outer lips), the
risk of obstetric fstula more than doubles.
In child marriages, sexual violence and abuse is
common. However, for girls who have undergone
FGM/C, trauma and pain during sexual intercouse
and child birth are even greater. Even when no
fstula occurs, such violence nevertheless has grave
consequences for girls sexual and psycological
health.
14 Forward UK. (n.d.) Obstetric Fistula. Available from
www.forwarduk.org.uk.
15 UNICEF (2013). Female Genital Mutilation/
Cutting: A Statistical Overview and Exploration of the
Dynamics of change. New York.

End Child Marriage in Africa Fact Sheet 7
African Union Commissions Campaign to End Child Marriage in Africa
The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Her Excellency Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma,
is launching End Child Marriage in Africa, a campaign which will run for two years in the frst
instance. The main purpose of the campaign will be to accelerate the end of child marriage on the
continent by enhancing awareness of its effects.
The campaigns specifc aims include:
1. Supporting policy to protect and promote human rights. This involves promoting and sup-
porting the African Unions Member States to frame, launch and execute national strategies
and programmes to end child marriage.
2. Mobilizing continental awareness of child marriage and removing barriers and bottlenecks to
law enforcement.
3. Determining the socio-economic impact of child marriage.
4. Increasing the capacity of non-state actors (including youth leaders) to undertake evi-
dence-based advocacy for policy.
The main outcomes of the campaign will be:

1. Demonstrated reduction in the rate of child marriage by the end of 2015, particularly in coun-
tries where the Campaign to End Child Marriage has been launched.
2. Increase in the number of countries that review, enact and enforce needed legislation against
child marriage.
3. Increased percentage of adolescents with access to family planning services, particularly in
countries where the campaign has been launched.
4. Greater involvement of all stakeholders, including communities, the private sector and civil
society organizations.
5. The institution of an effective monitoring and evaluation system.
8 Fact Sheet
End Child Marriage in Africa
According to the United Nations Handbook for
Legislation on Violence against Women,
20
legislation
on harmful practices against women should do
the following:
1. Set the minimum age for marriage as 18 for
both females and males.
2. Defne a child marriage as any marriage en-
tered into before the age of 18.
3. Create a specifc ofence of child marriage.
4. Criminalize those involved in the arrangement
or contracting of a forced marriage or child
marriage.
5. Prohibit betrothal before the age of 18.
6. Remove any exemption from punishment for
perpetrators of rape who marry the victim/
survivor.
20 United Nations (2009). Handbook for Legislation on
Violence against Women. (United Nations publication, Sales. No.
E.10.IV.2) ST/ESA/329.
The Preventative Effect of Education
Research conducted by UNICEF in 48 countries
showed that women who received some education
were less likely to be married as children.
16
Edu-
cated women also tend to have fewer children and
healthier families, that is, education contributes
to improved child and maternal health, higher
immunization rates, good family nutrition, and
attainment of schooling for the next generation.
17

Moreover, educating girls is seen as a preventive
weapon against HIV/AIDS.
18
In terms of wages,
women receive higher returns to their schooling
investment than do men -- the return, on average,
is 9.8 per cent for women, compared with 8.7 per
cent for men.
19
The Role of Legislation and
Enforcement
A legislative framework must be in place to support
the behaviour change necessary to eradicate child
marriage. Te frst step is often the legal recog-
nition and protection of childhood, according to
international standards. Tis means that marriages
involving children, that is, persons under the age
of 18, should not be legally allowed. Discrimina-
tory laws that establish a diferent minimum age
of marriage for women and men should also be
revised and adapted to international commitments
such as the African Charter on the Rights and Wel-
fare of the Child and the Maputo Protocol.
16 World Bank (2001). Engendering Development:Trough
Gender Equality in Rights, Resources, and Voice, Oxford University
Press.
17 Ibid.
18 Psacharopoulos, G., and H. Patrinos (2002, September).
Returns to Investment in Education: a further update. Policy
Research Working Paper, No. 2281, Washington, DC: World Bank.
19 Ibid.
End Child Marriage in Africa Fact Sheet 9
Figure 2: African countries with discriminatory marriage laws and minimum age of marriage below
18 years.
21
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Good practice: Well Designed and Effectively Implemented Programmes
Can Make a Difference
The Berhane Hewan Programme in Ethiopia successfully established appropriate and effective
mechanisms to protect girls at risk of forced early marriage and to support adolescent girls who
are already married. The programme had three components. The frst was group formation
by adult female mentors. The second component involved support for girls to remain in school
(including an economic incentive), participation in non-formal education (such as lessons in basic
literacy and numeracy) and livelihood training for out-of-school girls. The third component was
community conversations to engage the community in discussion of key issues, such as early
marriage, and in collective problem solving. The programme was rigorously evaluated. Results
showed improvements in friendship networks, school attendance, age at marriage, reproductive
health knowledge and communication, and contraceptive use.
22

21 African Child Policy Forum (2013). Te African Report on Child Wellbeing: Towards Greater Accountability to Africas Children.
22 Erulkar, Annabel S., and Eunice Muthengui (2009, March). Evaluation of Berhane Hewan: a program to delay child marriage in
rural Ethiopia. International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 35, No. 1.
10 Fact Sheet
End Child Marriage in Africa
Recommendations
1. Revise national legislation to efectively crimi-
nalize child marriage, with no sex discrimina-
tion, and guarantee its enforcement.
2. Implement national and international human
rights norms relating to the elimination of
discrimination against women. Te environ-
ment of discrimination, which denies women
and girls equal access to health care, educa-
tion, employment and wealth, must also be
addressed and reformed.
3. Raise the age of compulsory basic education
and make it efectively available for all.
4. Make health services, especially for sexual and
reproductive health, available for young wom-
en, adolescents and girls.
5. Provide support, such as shelters for domestic
violence and psychosocial counselling, for girls
who are already in unions.
6. Provide professional training for women so
that they can acquire skills to guarantee their
own livelihood.
African Union
Commission
Tis fact sheet has been produced with the support of
the Economic Commission for Africas African Centre
for Gender.