argumentative essay on early marriage

Early Marriage and Its Impact on Education Research Paper

Introduction.

Elementary education has undergone remarkable growth over the last three decades in the enrollment of the underprivileged societal groups like ethnic, cultural, linguistic, and economic minorities. Due to the rise in the enrollment of learners from the underprivileged groups, learning institutions have largely become diverse. Apparently, schools currently have been hit by a myriad of complex emerging issues and challenges. This aspect requires the relevant authorities to address the rising needs and objectives of diverse learners. This paper will examine and discuss challenges the impact of marriage on the education of children. The paper will predict and suggest what policymakers and school authorities should do in a bid to curb the negative effects emerging from this issue.

The tenacious exclusion practices by teachers, school bureaucracies, and society concerning the underachieving students’ socio-economic, cultural, and political perceptions greatly influence the learners’ capabilities (Cherubini, Hodson, Manley‐ Casimir & Muir, 2010). The assumption that schools are for boys and girls are for marriage is retrogressive; unfortunately, it persists in the contemporary society across the world. This perception largely contributes to early marriages amongst school going girls. This paper will show that early marriages influence children’s education in many ways and the practice has contributed to increased school dropouts especially amongst girls, thus creating a barrier to social justice and personal development.

Given the significant impacts that early marriage has had on education, this paper builds on the available recent research to establish the extent of early marriage and its impacts on the lives of children. This paper conducts an extensive inquiry to gather information from multi-disciplinary academic articles related to this topic. In addition, the paper incorporates the existing information to build on new and consistent knowledge. Since child development and learning adjustment is a crucial process for both girls and boys, this paper will adopt a balanced model to analyze the impacts of exposing children to early marriages at the cost of their education. According to Nguyen and Wodon (2012), demographic and health surveys indicate that girls and boys below 18 years of age are too young to be involved in marital and reproductive transitions. This tendency contributes to school dropouts or slow intellectual progress, thus lowering their education prospects substantially.

The current statistics

Table 1 below shows data on trends in the occurrence of child marriage for girls below the age of 18 years. This data indicates that child marriage is decreasing, but at a slow pace, and thus the prospect of eliminating early marriage remains elusive. The data show that different income groups influence early marriages with less developed countries recording more cases as compared to their developed counterparts.

The impact of early marriage on education

In many cases, the decision by a girl or her parents to get married at tender age is highly subject to the girl’s potential and capabilities to stand out in school. Girls, who are weak in school, have low prospects in education, and thus they presumably have very little to lose in the future; hence, they are discouraged to go on with studies as compared with girls who have high intellectual capabilities. However, studies have shown that poor performance in school is related to socio-economic, racial, linguistic, and regional disparities. These differences have an adverse effect on the personality and performance of children in school. These impacts are highly pronounced among the learners who belong to the underprivileged families (Cherubini et al., 2010). Early marriage is a major factor contributing to school drop out for female children between the ages of 9 and 17 (Finlay & Neumark, 2008). Some regions have cultural practices that constrain girls from exercising their social justice on decisions to marry. This section will explore the several challenges that affect education of children due to early marriages.

Termination of education

Some cultures gold that girls are for marriage and school should be for the boys. In the developing countries, particularly the northern part of Nigeria, girls should be in their husband’s house during their first menstrual cycle (Nguyen & Wodon, 2012). Some communities even give out girls immediately they are born. When these girls grow and learn of what the family or society expects of them, they are discouraged since nobody expects them to excel in school as opposed to their male counterparts. These cultural practices have led some societies astray by denying the young people the chance to compete in school and make their own decisions in life. When these girls join schools, there are less likely to concentrate since they see themselves as baby-making machines, thus leading to poor performance, which compels them to pull out of school voluntarily. However, girls should be given the right to make personal life choices and societies should ensure that everyone is accorded equal rights to life. On the other hand, boys gradually turn into fathers while in school. The influence of peer pressure is increasingly forcing school going boys to engage in teen sex. Some communities believe in taking responsibilities of personal own choices. Therefore, these young boys are compelled to marry at tender age when they do not have the capacity to have families (Finlay & Neumark, 2008). The pressure of sustaining marriage livelihood becomes demanding and the young boys cannot concentrate in school. They are forced to discontinue their studies and find means to feed their young families.

Isolating girls

When girls marry while in school, they are separated from their peers in school and it takes time to adjust to the new environment with their husbands. This isolation affects the girls’ concentration in schools emotionally and psychologically, thus leading to undesired results. Married girls in most cases find themselves missing classes to cater for family issues and they are forced to do catch up studies. The pressure intensifies, thus forcing them to quit or fail in their studies (Finlay & Neumark, 2008). This aspect affects their social life since they cannot interact with their educated peers. The girls become dependent on their husbands, thus compromising their socio-economic opportunities and power. In case the early married school-age girls become widowed, they have nobody to support their education and with little options to raise their families.

Low quality of education

Studies have shown a close link between early marriage and the quality of education (Finlay & Neumark, 2008). The mainstream perception that learners should marry after completion of their education process creates identity crises and the actual perception of social selves hinders these girls from socializing or conducting discussions in classrooms. For instance, when teachers have to discuss topics relating to early marriages, they might be forced to overlook some important details pertaining the topic mainly to avoid what might look as discussing the married members of the class. Therefore, they do not address the pertinent points surrounding the issue, and thus the quality of education is compromised. The entire class might be misled on some crucial issues regarding early marriage, which might affect their future lives.

Poverty and marriage

Financial stability exerts a substantial impact on a child’s learning and school attendance, and this influence contributes to girls’ early marriage in many ways. The learning institutions incorporate learners from wide social orientations. Children from poor backgrounds are affected psychologically and they end up losing concentration on studies, which leads to poor performance. The teacher-student relationship also plays a significant role. For instance, teachers who label such students as slow learners might encourage them to pull out of school. Parents decide to let their girls marry and reduce the financial burden that come with education. Marital status becomes an influential predictor of school attendance for the married girls. Most girls feel ashamed whilst interacting with fellow students who see them as wives rather than students. The divided attention forces the young girls to pull out or terminate their studies at lower levels (Koppelman & Goodhart, 2011). This aspect undermines the girls’ potential to explore their capabilities and become independent in the future. In addition, early poverty and neglect among young learners gradually develop to adolescence learning disorders. Developmental cognitive studies indicate that early brain development forms the basis of intellectual progress and learning (Egbo, 2009). Therefore, when girls get married while in school, they are further interrupted, and thus they get an excuse to drop out of school. The poverty cycle continues, thus leading to low social status. This aspect does not only affect the young girls, but also the economic growth of a country.

Economic factors

Poor societal value for girls leads to early marriage, but this notion varies across different cultures. In many societies, women are considered as incompetent in the workplace, hence unproductive as opposed to men. Such societies hold that girls create a financial burden, and thus their parents let them be married in a bid to ease such monetary encumbrances. Sometimes, girls get married early to offset their parents’ debts. These girls find it difficult to continue with studies while in marriage, and thus they opt to exit school. Most probably, children of illiterate mothers will have low incentives to go further in education, which projects the poverty cycle to other generations (Finlay & Neumark, 2008).

Teen pregnancy and school exit

Undoubtedly, teen pregnancy has a strong link to school exit for young girls (Cherubini et al., 2010). Girls, who continue learning after getting married, find themselves at the risk of terminating their education once they get pregnant. Given the nature of classroom experiences through interactions and participation, the girls find life unbearable, and thus they decide to drop out and concentrate with marital life.

Gender inequality

In most cases, girls are highly affected by early marriages since they have limited educational opportunities, thus reducing their employment chances and the power to compete with their male counterparts. Victims of early marriage in school are likely to experience gender-based violence and discrimination by fellow students or even teachers (Cherubini et al., 2010). Unfortunately, the few girls who manage to go through the education system while in marriage come out of school hoping to compete in the workforce, but the male-dominated societies have little concern about their skills. They are seen as family house helps, and thus they are denied job opportunities based on their gender. The idea that girls should be married and boys should be educated gives the boys a green light to go pursue their dreams even after they marry. When boys get married, they do not receive backlash from the school fraternity. This aspect builds them psychologically as the support coming from their wives is sufficient for them to further their education unlike girls who find themselves in similar situations.

Change of location and backgrounds

Early marriage means the relocation and adaptation to new environments, maybe across the country or even the continent. These changes imply cultural diversities and integration to new lifestyles in marriage and new environments of learning. The class environment in most cases differs in many ways and it calls for high concentration to catch up, which is insurmountable for married girls. The current state of education faces challenges to uphold equity and tolerance for diverse cultures in school (Egbo, 2009). Due to linguistic disparities, it is hard for girls to adapt to new school environments, while at the same time keeping up with family matters. This pressure compels them to exit school or end up graduating with poor results.

Recommendations

Early marriage among schoolchildren is a violation of human rights and intrusion to personal life as many decisions are made for them by their parents. Therefore, policymakers need to address cultural values that should be improved to protect girls from exploitation on gender-based inequalities. Law enforcers should encourage the affected people particularly the girls to report cases when they feel that their rights are being undermined. Education should be used as an option to alleviate early marriage by creating support systems for the girls’ education and deal with other disparities in learning institutions (Cherubini et al., 2010). Women empowerment should be advocated to ensure a balance in the distribution of education opportunities for everyone.

Despite the significant improvement in the school enrollment of children from all divisions of the society, great disparities exist in terms of gender and the gap intensifies with girls being the most affected particularly by early marriage. Studies have shown that school drop out and low qualities of education are negatively affecting girls that are trapped in early marriages (Koppelman & Goodhart, 2011). Higher learning institutions report a huge gap in gender distribution, by showing that male students dominate these institutions. This aspect implies that many girls end up exiting education institutions at lower stages when they cannot handle both marital issues and education. Therefore, policymakers and the governments should realize that learning institutions and classrooms currently comprise diverse student populations with varying life experiences. Therefore, policymakers should reorient learning institutions coupled with advocating comprehensive and inclusive system to alleviate any form of disparities. Advocacy should be carried out to reduce the prevalence of early marriage by empowering the less privileged sections of the society and ensure that societies develop the culture of learning for all individuals regardless of their gender.

Cherubini, L., Hodson, J., Manley‐ Casimir, M., & Muir, C. (2010). Closing the Gap’ at the Peril of Widening the Void: Implications of the Ontario Ministry of Education’s Policy for Aboriginal Education. Canadian Journal of Education 33 (2), 329 ‐ 355.

Egbo, B. (2009). Teaching for Diversity in Canadian Schools . Toronto, Canada: Pearson Canada Inc.

Finlay, K., & Neumark, D. (2008). Is marriage always good for children? Evidence from families affected by incarceration . Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research.

Koppelman, L., & Goodhart, R. (2011). Understanding human differences: Multicultural education for a diverse America . Boston, MA: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon.

Nguyen, M., & Wodon, Q. (2012). Child Marriage and Education: A Major Challenge. Journal Economics Bulletin , 32 (1), 398-411.

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Essay on Early Marriage

Students are often asked to write an essay on Early Marriage in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Early Marriage

What is early marriage.

Early marriage means two people starting a married life when they are young, often before they are 18 years old. This is common in some cultures and places.

Reasons Behind Early Marriage

Many times, families think marrying their children young is good, maybe for tradition, money, or to keep honor. Sometimes, young people may also want to marry early because they love each other.

Problems with Early Marriage

Marrying young can cause problems. It can stop education and harm health, especially if young girls have babies. It can also lead to more family fights and money issues.

Changing Views

Now, many people and governments say early marriage is not good. They are trying to change laws and teach others about the problems it causes, to help young people wait to marry.

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• Paragraph on Early Marriage

250 Words Essay on Early Marriage

Early marriage is when two people get married before they reach the age at which they are generally considered ready for marriage responsibilities. This age is often 18 or older. When young teenagers or even children are married, it is called early or child marriage.

Many times, early marriages happen because of tradition, culture, or poverty. Families may think marrying off their children young will protect them or help them financially. Some believe it is a way to keep traditions alive or ensure that the young couple grows together in a certain way.

Getting married early can cause a lot of problems. Young couples might not be ready for the big responsibilities that come with marriage, like taking care of a family. They might have to stop going to school and miss out on education and opportunities to grow. Health can also be a big concern, especially if young girls become mothers when their bodies are not ready.

The Impact on Society

When young people marry early, it doesn’t just affect them; it impacts the whole society. They might not be able to contribute much because they missed out on education and skills. This can lead to more poverty and less progress for the community.

Early marriage can limit young people’s futures and hurt their health and society’s growth. It is important for communities to understand these problems and work together to give young people the chance to learn, grow, and make their own choices about marriage.

500 Words Essay on Early Marriage

Early marriage is when two people get married before they reach a certain age. This age varies from place to place, but it is often before the age of 18. In some cultures, it is common for young people to get married very young, sometimes even as children. This practice has been around for a long time, and in some parts of the world, it is still happening today.

There are many reasons why early marriage takes place. In some families, it is a tradition that has been passed down for generations. Sometimes, parents think that marrying their children young will protect them or make sure they are taken care of. Other times, families might not have enough money, and marrying off a child can mean one less person to feed or clothe. In some situations, young girls are married to older men because of agreements made between families.

Challenges of Early Marriage

When people marry young, they face many challenges. They might have to stop going to school, which means they won’t get the education they need to find good jobs in the future. They might not be ready for the responsibilities of marriage, like taking care of a home or raising children. This can be very hard for them and can lead to problems in the marriage.

Health is another big concern. Young girls who have babies might face more risks during pregnancy and childbirth because their bodies are not fully developed. This can be dangerous for both the mother and the baby.

Effects on Society

Early marriage doesn’t just affect the people who get married, but it can also have an impact on society. When many people in a community marry young, it can mean that a lot of people don’t finish school. This can lead to a community where not many people have the skills or knowledge to do certain jobs, which can make it hard for the community to grow and prosper.

What is Being Done?

Many people and organizations around the world are working to stop early marriage. They try to educate communities about the problems it causes and encourage them to let children stay in school longer. Laws are also being made to make it illegal for children to marry before they reach a certain age. These efforts are helping, but there is still a lot of work to be done.

In conclusion, early marriage is a complex issue that affects individuals and society in many ways. It can lead to health problems, a lack of education, and difficulty in finding good jobs. By understanding the reasons behind it and the challenges it brings, people can work together to help end this practice. It is important for everyone, including children, to know about their rights and the importance of making choices that are good for their future. With continued education and changes in the law, we can hope for a world where all children are allowed to grow up and make decisions about marriage when they are truly ready.

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Argumentative Essay: Marriage

Once you reach a certain age or a certain amount of time spent with the same partner, especially as a woman, friends and family will inevitably start asking questions about marriage or even downright pressure you into taking this step. But is getting married such a good idea? I believe not, since, nowadays, at least in the developed countries, it doesn’t bring truly valuable benefits.

Marriage is no longer necessary legally or practically. Once upon a time, for a woman, getting married meant ensuring financial security and gaining access to a variety of legal rights they wouldn’t dream of otherwise. But now, in the modern world, years after the feminist movement has established legal rights for women, we no longer need marriage to get access to certain benefits. Nowadays, women are highly educated and actually constitute the majority of the workforce in the US. Furthermore, we no longer require a marriage license to be allowed to visit our partner in the hospital, and, for a lot of us, getting married doesn’t even imply a tax break.

Marriage does not guarantee fidelity. Many people get married hoping that the sanctity of marriage will reduce the chances of being cheated on. But if your spouse doesn’t respect your relationship and is tempted to cheat, a piece of paper will have no power in preventing infidelity. Actually, it seems that in around half of marriages, one of the spouses will have an extra-marital relation at some point.

There’s no longer a stigma on you if you have a child without getting married. While, in the past, having a child before marriage was terrifying for a woman due to social stigmatization, nowadays, we’ve become considerably more open-minded. Actually, according to a Pew report, even in 2008, over 40 percent of births were to unmarried women – and the number has risen during the last few years. In addition, according to the HHS, a third of children adoptions in the US are by single parents or unmarried couples.

Marriage does not bring security in a relationship. There are too many people deciding to get married for the wrong reason. And one of them is thinking that it will ensure that “until death do us part”. While this may have been true a long time ago, or still is when it comes to very religious persons, marriage doesn’t ensure the security of the relationships in many of the cases. Though the divorce in the US rate has seen ups and downs during the last few years, it is still alarmingly higher compared to what it was a few decades ago. The only thing that will truly bring security is having a strong relationship, based on trust, no matter the legal status.

Love is mysterious and magical, and it should stay that way. And marriage, by definition, is just a contract. The beauty of love is that it is undefined, it is unique to you and your beloved one, and it is continually changing as you grow together. I neither need nor want my love to be defined in legal terms.

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Child marriage: “an affront to human dignity and well-being and an impediment to sustainable development”

Date: Monday, 19 September 2016

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Child, early and forced marriage (CEFM) has been recognized under international human rights law as a harmful practice and is often associated with serious forms of violence against women and girls, including intimate partner violence.

Not only is it a grave human rights violation, but it is also an affront to human dignity and well-being and an impediment to sustainable development.  While it is a reality for both boys and girls, it is girls who are disproportionally affected. Approximately 700 million girls worldwide have been married before their eighteenth birthday.  One in every three girls in developing countries is married before reaching age 18 and one in nine is married under age 15.

Despite the slight decrease in prevalence over the past three decades, and an increase in the number of laws against child, early and forced marriage, the practice remains widespread, in part due to inadequate enforcement of laws, and misconceptions about traditional and cultural practices reflecting gender inequality and gender-based discrimination as root causes.

Indigenous and minority women and girls living in strict patriarchal, religious, traditional or caste systems are especially vulnerable to child, early and forced marriage. This is particularly exacerbated in conflict settings, as families see child, early and forced marriage as a way of providing girls with a home and protecting them from sexual violence.

Child, early and forced marriage has a devastating impact on the overall realization and enjoyment of girls’ and women’s rights, in particular, their sexual and reproductive health rights. It is a fundamental denial of their right to and autonomy over their own bodies and their bodily integrity.

Along with other forms of violence against women and girls, including intimate partner violence, trafficking in persons and other harmful practices such as female genital mutilations/cutting, child, early and force marriage is linked to high rates of maternal mortality, lower use of family planning, unwanted pregnancies and usually signals the end of a girl’s education.

Girls who marry in childhood are at greater risk for intimate partner violence than girls of the same age who marry later. There is little or no accountability for those who facilitate child, early or forced marriages, or perpetrate the violence within them, and even less recourse, including shelter and safe accommodation, for those wishing to escape.

Ending the travesty that is child, early and forced marriage and other harmful practices such as female genital mutilation/cutting, have been firmly rooted in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development under Sustainable Development Goal 5 and Target 5.3, and have been clearly enunciated as barriers to the achievement of gender equality and women’s empowerment.

As such, ending violence against women and girls, including harmful practices such as child, early and forced marriages, will make a crucial contribution not only to progress towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 5, but across all the sustainable goals and targets.

It is critical that we address the root causes of child, early and forced marriage such as gender inequality, gender-based discrimination and gender stereotypes and social norms that condone gender inequality, violence against women and girls and harmful practices, through stepping up our collective work on the 4 P’s of the strategy for the elimination of violence against women, including prevention, prevention, protection, provision of services and prosecution of perpetrators.

To achieve this, UN Women’s work focuses on women’s empowerment, including through education, economic empowerment and enhanced participation to decision-making, as well as on the protection and promotion of the human rights of all women and girls.

Violence against women and girls, including harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage, is considered a serious impediment for the achievement of gender equality and ending such violence is one of the core priorities of the organization.

To address this scourge, our efforts must include awareness-raising, constituency-building, and working with our champions—civil society organizations, traditional and religious leaders, men and boys and women and girls at all levels—to drive this movement forward. We must know what are the causes of child, early and forced marriage, and identify what policies and measures work, supported by rigorous collection of data.  

We should no longer rely on justifications for child, early and forced marriage, and indeed, other harmful practices, on the grounds of tradition and culture, or engage in debates on the age of consent, parental permission or whether it is for a girl’s own security.

It is also imperative that Governments seize upon this opportunity of the sustainable development agenda to abandon these harmful practices completely and hold those responsible accountable. Meeting a Target such as SDG 5.3 provides us with the opportunity to demonstrate results in a very tangible and concrete way.

In line with our approach, UN Women is involved in a number of leading global initiatives that address such violence against girls:

The Together for Girls initiative, is a unique public-private partnership, where we work together with UNICEF, UNFPA and other partners to bring attention to the issue of violence against children, in support of country driven efforts for change.

A central component of UN Women’s Youth and Gender Equality Strategy is to strengthen initiatives for the empowerment of young women and develop young men as partners in gender equality, women’s empowerment, and women’s rights. Within this strategy, the “LEAPs” framework calls for strengthening Leadership of women’s Leadership, promoting Economic Empowerment, investing in innovation and skills development of young women, and taking action to end Violence against young women and girls.  

Additionally, the framework makes the strong case for promoting participation, voice, and partnerships with young women, young women led-organizations and networks, as well as strengthening partnerships with young men and intergenerational partnerships to achieve gender equality.

At the country level, the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women, managed by UN Women, is also addressing child, early and forced marriage in Cambodia, Cameroon, Liberia and Tajikistan as part of its global efforts with the aim of ensuring that women and girls enjoy the right to a life free of violence.

In Kyrgyzstan, advocacy efforts by civil society groups, supported by UN Women, led to the final approval of legislation toughening the sanctions for the broadly practiced custom of bride-kidnapping.

In Malawi, UN Women and its partners have played an integral part in raising awareness of the issue of early child and forced marriages and lobbying for legislative change. In 2015, as a result of consistent advocacy efforts, the Marriage, Divorce and Family Relations Act, was adopted by the national parliament, raising the minimum age of marriage without parental consent to 18 years.

In closing, I would like to echo the call of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to leave no child, girl or boy, or indeed woman, behind. Let’s keep this in mind as we think and work collectively on this issue—how we can ensure we reach everyone, as we move towards eliminating harmful practices such as child, early and forced marriages, and eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls for good.

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Home — Essay Samples — Social Issues — Child Marriage — Protecting Childhood: Child Marriage Should Be Banned

Protecting Childhood: Child Marriage Should Be Banned

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Argumentative Essay On Underage Marriage

Type of paper: Argumentative Essay

Topic: Social Issues , Relationships , Culture , Teenagers , Marriage , Training , Family , Love

Words: 1400

Published: 02/06/2020

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Thesis statement: Whichever way we look at it, underage marriages are not right, and they should be abolished in every country once and for all. - Body Paragraph

Underage marriage is a violation of the rights of the young girl who gets married.

- The minor does not get involved in the marriage negotiations which contravenes the spirit of marriage. - Apart from being denied education, the girl suffers domestic violence. - Body Paragraph

Underage marriage means early motherhood and a large family as a consequence.

- Large families perpetuate a circle of poverty. - Limited resources for the family. - Counter Argument Underage marriages should be respected. Abolishing them could be interpreted to mean interfering with people’s culture. - Culture is meant to be cherished and not subjected to ridicule. - Interference with culture amounts to violation of people’s rights. - Refutation Culture which does not respect the rights of the people regardless of their gender should not be protected. Moreover, marriage is an institution meant for adults. - Conclusion Marriage should be an individual choice. Consent, but not coercion, should be the key. Underage marriage, also known as childhood marriage, refers to the betrothal of girls before they attain “marriageable age” - in this case marriageable age is assumed to be over 18 years. In the past, underage marriages have been largely practiced in the developing countries, but the practice is slowly dying down. Nevertheless, human rights groups, women’s rights groups and children’s rights groups have resisted such marriages all along, and the efforts seem to be paying off in the 20th century. Whichever way we look at it, underage marriages are not right, and they should be abolished in every country once and for all. Underage marriage is a violation of the rights of the young girl who gets married. In most cases, the marriage is arranged by the girl’s family and the family of the suitor. The girl does not play any role in the process. She is expected to accept and respect the decision made by the parents. In all fairness, such a process is wrong. Marriage should be an institution where two consenting adults willingly decide to take part without any outside interference. In cases whereby the young wife and the husband do not “match”, a lot of disagreements have been reported. In the extreme cases, domestic violence takes place. According to a research carried out by Act!onaid in Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania, Nigeria and Mozambique, 86 % of the girls who had been married off at a young age admitted being subjected to some form of violence in their marriages. Ironically, they are the ones who were blamed for the violence. They also admitted that they whenever reported to their parents, such complains were brushed aside as a normal thing in marriages. Apart from being subjected to physical and mental torture, the girls are also denied their right to education. The assumption here is that the role of the woman is to take care of the husband and children, while the husband provides for the family. In addition to violation of girls’ rights, underage marriages perpetuate poverty and ignorance. It is a well documented fact that girls who are married at an early age go ahead to become mothers at an early age. In the communities where children are seen as assets to the society, such girls are also likely to give birth to many children. What this simply means is that the family’s resources will be subjected to more pressure because there will be many more people in the family to feed. It should not be lost to the reader that most of the underage marriages are perpetuated in poverty-stricken areas. This makes it hard for the parents to provide each of the children with decent education, decent shelter, and adequate food. In the long run, this perpetuates the culture of poverty. Since the girls are married at an early age hence missing out in proper education, their range of knowledge and skills is also limited. As a result, the jobs that they get are not able to give them enough funds to cater for their needs, as well as the needs of the other family members. This leaves the husband to be the breadwinner and, in most cases, the meager earnings will not be enough to satisfy the needs of the family. As a result, going to bed hungry and dropping out of school due to lack of fees is nothing-out-of ordinary for children born in such families. Consequently, it requires something akin to a miracle to full pull out the family out of the poverty circle. Despite the inherent failures of underage marriages, there are some people who still support underage marriages arguing that they should not be abolished because they form part of some community’s culture. This argument is advanced by those who believe that culture should be preserved, and people should not be victimized for exercising their culture. In most countries, culture is recognized as an integral part of society, and this is inscribed within their constitutions. Therefore, with the knowledge that some communities practice arranged marriages, the right should be respected. Interference with the people’s culture would amount to a violation of their rights. Communities which practice childhood marriages defend themselves arguing that marriage is a social event in which the community expresses itself. Since it is a practice which has been passed on to them for generations, they claim that it is only fair for them to pass the practice down to their future generations. However, such rites cannot be preserved for future generations in an environment where culture is not respected. Nevertheless, although such arguments can be advanced in other areas, marriage should not be one of the fields where such arguments are advanced. The argument that abolishing underage marriages constitutes to a violation of some people’s way of life is neither here nor there. Sectarian interests should not override the common good at all times. Therefore, people’s individual rights should not be shoved away in order to preserve some backward ideas which have no place in the modern society. If such requests are granted, it can lead to a floodgate of other mundane requests which have no basis. Above all, marriage should be an institution whereby only consenting adults take part. Furthermore, the marriage should be formalized in public and witnessed by a veritable authority. This is the reason why marriage certificates are signed in the presence of public officials or in the presence of church leaders. In conclusion, underage marriages have no place in modern society, and they should be abolished. Although it is a practice that has been allowed to go on in the past, it should not be left to continue unchallenged because it is an outright violation of a minor’s rights. Most of the reported cases of underage marriage involve customary arrangements made between parents of the suitor and parents of the underage girl. The young girl does not play any role in the negotiations and this is a clear contravention of the spirit of marriage. Moreover, it is a practice that encourages the perpetuation of poverty circle – especially in the developing countries. For those who argue that underage marriages form part of their culture, they should be made aware that such marriages are indeed a violation of human rights. Consequently, the marriages cannot be allowed in pursuit of the benefit of all people. Above all, girls should not be discriminated on the basis of their gender, and culture should not be used as an excuse to deny them their rights. The decision to be in marriage should be an individual choice, and this is something that has to be respected.

BBC. (2001, March 7). Child marriage 'violates rights'. Retrieved May 17, 2013, from BBC News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/1206979.stm Besharov, D. (2001). Family and Child Well-Being after Welfare Reform. Piscataway, NJ: Transaction Publishers . Juma, J. (2011, November 22). Sub-Saharan Girls Held Back by Child Marriage and Violence . Retrieved May 17, 2013, from Act!onaid: http://www.actionaid.org/2011/11/sub-saharan girls-held-back-child-marriage-and-violence Mibang, T., & Behera, M. C. (2006). Marriage and Culture: Reflections from Tribal Societies of Arunachal Pradesh, Volume 1. Delhi: Mittal Publications.

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Child Marriage Essay

500 words child marriage essay.

Child Marriage continues to be a prevalent practice in many parts of the world . Even though the world is evolving at a fast pace, there are some regions that can’t seem to move on with times. What’s sad is the dark reality of child marriage which is not considered often. Child marriage is basically the formal or informal marriage of a child with or without their consent, under the age of 18. In most cases, the boy or man is older than the girl. Through a child marriage essay, we will throw light on this social issue.

Causes and Impact of Child Marriage

Child marriage is no less than exploitation of right. In almost all places, the child must be 18 years and above to get married. Thus, marrying off the child before the age is exploiting their right.

One of the most common causes of child marriage is the tradition which has been in practice for a long time. In many places, ever since a girl is born, they consider her to be someone else’s property.

Similarly, the elders wish to work out their family’s expansion so they marry off the youngsters to characterize their status. Most importantly, poor people practice child marriage to get rid of their loans, taxes, dowry and more.

The impact of child marriage can be life-changing for children, especially girls. The household responsibilities fall on the children. They are not mentally or physically ready for it, yet it falls on them.

While people expect the minor boys to bear the financial responsibilities, the girls are expected to look after the house and family. Their freedom to learn and play is taken away.

Further, their health is also put at risk due to the contraction of sexually transmitted diseases like HIV and more. Especially the girls who get pregnant at a young age, it becomes harmful for the mother as well as the baby.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

How to End Child Marriage

Ending child marriage is the need of the hour. In order to end this social evil, everyone from individuals to world leaders must challenge the traditional norms. Moreover, we must do away with ideas that reinforce that girls are inferior to boys.

We must empower the children, especially girls, to become their own agents of change. To achieve this, they must get access to quality education and allow them to complete their studies so they can lead an independent life later on.

Safe spaces are important for children to be able to express themselves and make their voices heard. Thus, it is essential to remove all forms of gender discrimination to ensure everyone is given equal value and protection.

Conclusion of Child Marriage Essay

To sum it up, a marriage must be a sacred union between mature individuals and not an illogical institution which compromises with the future of our children. The problem must be solved at the grassroots level beginning with ending poverty and lack of education. This way, people will learn better and do better.

FAQ on Child Marriage Essay

Question 1: What are the causes of child marriage?

Answer 1: The causes of child marriages include poverty, dowry, cultural traditions, religious and social pressures, illiteracy, and supposed incapability of women to work for money.

Question 2: How can we end child marriage?

Answer 2: To end child marriage we must also raise awareness about this issue and educate both parents and kids. Further, we must encourage them to be independent first and then search for a partner only after attaining a specific age. Laws should be introduced to tackle this social issue.

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Joseph Epstein, conservative provocateur, tells his life story in full

In two new books, the longtime essayist and culture warrior shows off his wry observations about himself and the world

Humorous, common-sensical, temperamentally conservative, Joseph Epstein may be the best familiar — that is casual, personal — essayist of the last half-century. Not, as he might point out, that there’s a lot of competition. Though occasionally a scourge of modern society’s errancies, Epstein sees himself as essentially a serious reader and “a hedonist of the intellect.” His writing is playful and bookish, the reflections of a wry observer alternately amused and appalled by the world’s never-ending carnival.

Now 87, Epstein has just published his autobiography, “ Never Say You’ve Had a Lucky Life: Especially if You’ve Had a Lucky Life ,” in tandem with “ Familiarity Breeds Content: New and Selected Essays .” This pair of books brings the Epstein oeuvre up to around 30 volumes of sophisticated literary entertainment. While there are some short-story collections (“The Goldin Boys,” “Fabulous Small Jews”), all the other books focus on writers, observations on American life, and topics as various as ambition, envy, snobbery, friendship, charm and gossip. For the record, let me add that I own 14 volumes of Epstein’s views and reviews and would like to own them all.

Little wonder, then, that Epstein’s idea of a good time is an afternoon spent hunched over Herodotus’s “Histories,” Marguerite Yourcenar’s “Memoirs of Hadrian” or almost anything by Henry James, with an occasional break to enjoy the latest issue of one of the magazines he subscribes to. In his younger days, there were as many as 25, and most of them probably featured Epstein’s literary journalism at one time or another. In the case of Commentary, he has been contributing pieces for more than 60 years.

As Epstein tells it, no one would have predicted this sort of intellectual life for a kid from Chicago whose main interests while growing up were sports, hanging out, smoking Lucky Strikes and sex. A lackadaisical C student, Myron Joseph Epstein placed 169th in a high school graduating class of 213. Still, he did go on to college — the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign — because that’s what was expected of a son from an upper-middle-class Jewish family. But Urbana-Champaign wasn’t a good fit for a jokester and slacker: As he points out, the president of his college fraternity “had all the playfulness of a member of the president’s Council of Economic Advisers.” No matter. Caught peddling stolen copies of an upcoming accounting exam for $5 a pop, Epstein was summarily expelled.

Fortunately, our lad had already applied for a transfer to the University of Chicago, to which he was admitted the next fall. Given his record, this shows a surprising laxity of standards by that distinguished institution, but for Epstein the move was life-changing. In short order, he underwent a spiritual conversion from good ol’ boy to European intellectual in the making. In the years to come, he would count the novelist Saul Bellow and the sociologist Edward Shils among his close friends, edit the American Scholar, and teach at Northwestern University. His students, he recalls, were “good at school, a skill without any necessary carry-over, like being good at pole-vaulting or playing the harmonica.”

Note the edge to that remark. While “Never Say You’ve Had a Lucky Life” is nostalgia-laden, there’s a hard nut at its center. Epstein feels utter contempt for our nation’s “radical change from a traditionally moral culture to a therapeutic one.” As he explains: “Our parents’ culture and that which came long before them was about the formation of character; the therapeutic culture was about achieving happiness. The former was about courage and honor, the latter about self-esteem and freedom from stress.” This view of America’s current ethos may come across as curmudgeonly and reductionist, but many readers — whatever their political and cultural leanings — would agree with it. Still, such comments have sometimes made their author the focus of nearly histrionic vilification.

Throughout his autobiography, this lifelong Chicagoan seems able to remember the full names of everyone he’s ever met, which suggests Epstein started keeping a journal at an early age. He forthrightly despises several older writers rather similar to himself, calling Clifton Fadiman, author of “The Lifetime Reading Plan,” pretentious, then quite cruelly comparing Mortimer J. Adler, general editor of the “Great Books of the Western World” series, with Sir William Haley, one of those deft, widely read English journalists who make all Americans feel provincial. To Epstein, “no two men were more unalike; Sir William, modest, suave, intellectually sophisticated; Mortimer vain, coarse, intellectually crude.” In effect, Fadiman and Adler are both presented as cultural snake-oil salesmen. Of course, both authors were popularizers and adept at marketing their work, but helping to enrich the intellectual lives of ordinary people doesn’t strike me as an ignoble purpose.

In his own work, Epstein regularly employs humor, bits of slang or wordplay, and brief anecdotes to keep his readers smiling. For instance, in a chapter about an editorial stint at the Encyclopaedia Britannica, Epstein relates this story about a colleague named Martin Self:

“During those days, when anti-Vietnam War protests were rife, a young woman in the office wearing a protester’s black armband, asked Martin if he were going to that afternoon’s protest march. ‘No, Naomi,’ he said, ‘afternoons such as this I generally spend at the graveside of George Santayana.’”

Learned wit, no doubt, but everything — syntax, diction, the choice of the philosopher Santayana for reverence — is just perfect.

But Epstein can be earthier, too. Another colleague “was a skirt-chaser extraordinaire," a man "you would not feel safe leaving alone with your great-grandmother.” And of himself, he declares: “I don’t for a moment wish to give the impression that I live unrelievedly on the highbrow level of culture. I live there with a great deal of relief.”

In his many essays, including the sampling in “Familiarity Breeds Content,” Epstein is also markedly “quotacious,” often citing passages from his wide reading to add authority to an argument or simply to share his pleasure in a well-turned observation. Oddly enough, such borrowed finery is largely absent from “Never Say You’ve Had a Happy Life.” One partial exception might be the unpronounceable adjective “immitigable,” which appears all too often. It means unable to be mitigated or softened, and Epstein almost certainly stole it from his friend Shils, who was fond of the word.

Despite his autobiography’s jaunty title, Epstein has seen his share of trouble. As a young man working for an anti-poverty program in Little Rock, he married a waitress after she became pregnant with his child. When they separated a decade later, he found himself with four sons to care for — two from her previous marriage, two from theirs. Burt, the youngest, lost an eye in an accident while a toddler, couldn’t keep a job, fathered a child out of wedlock and eventually died of an opioid overdose at 28. Initially hesitant, Epstein came to adore Burt’s daughter, Annabelle, as did his second wife, Barbara, whom he married when they were both just past 40.

Some pages of “Never Say You’ve Had a Lucky Life” will be familiar to inveterate readers of Epstein’s literary journalism, all of which carries a strong first-person vibe. Not surprisingly, however, the recycled anecdotage feels less sharp or witty the second time around. But overall, this look back over a long life is consistently entertaining, certainly more page-turner than page-stopper. To enjoy Epstein at his very best, though, you should seek out his earlier essay collections such as “The Middle of My Tether,” “Partial Payments” and “A Line Out for a Walk.” Whether he writes about napping or name-dropping or a neglected writer such as Somerset Maugham, his real subject is always, at heart, the wonder and strangeness of human nature.

Never Say You’ve Had a Lucky Life

Especially if You’ve Had a Lucky Life

By Joseph Epstein

Free Press. 304 pp. $29.99

Familiarity Breeds Content

New and Selected Essays

Simon & Schuster. 464 pp. $20.99

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