JULIANA FRANCIS
In this concluding part probes
experts’ views and laws in Nigeria on child marriage
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
of Esther Child Rights Foundation, Esther Ogwu, recalled handling a case of
child marriage in Lagos. The marriage took place in Enugu State, but the 12-year-old
bride was brought to Lagos by her 45-year-old husband.
Bishop Enofe (husband of Confidence)
The girl, an orphan, was given
out in marriage by her grandfather, who had also earlier given out her
15-year-old sister in marriage.
Ogwu’s organisation got involved
after police called that the child needed shelter. She said: “What happened was
that after arrival in Lagos, the ‘husband’ wanted to have intercourse with her,
so she ran out of the house. She was roaming the streets when a Good Samaritan saw
her and took her to the police station. The ‘husband’ complained that he spent
N250,000 in marrying her.”Joseph (dad of Confidence)
Eradicating
child marriage
Ogwu said eradicating child
marriage should begin from the home front, with parents playing vital roles.
“Teenage pregnancies lead to
child marriages. Everyone should be interested in checking it because the
community is connected to the child. Let’s do something before calling on the
government. It is tragic that these days, children between ages 11, 12 and 16
have started dating. These sorts of marriages lead to sadness and death. We’re
defying it and we shall continue to do so,” she said.
The Country Director, Avocats
Sans Frontières France (ASF), also known as Lawyers Without Borders, Mrs.
Angela Uwandu, lamented that enough attention is not given to the issue of child
marriages in Nigeria. She said that this is despite available information and
statistics on the negative effects of this practice on the development and
wellbeing of the child brides and the society.Esther (mum of Confidence)
She said: “According to a report
by UNICEF and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in 2018, Nigeria, as
the most populous country in the West African region, has the highest number of
child brides in the region, with an estimated number of 22 million child brides.
This figure should urge us as a nation towards an emergency action to end the
practice of child marriage.”
Uwandu said religious, economic
and cultural practices contribute to child marriage.
“Some girls are married off early
for economic gains to their families, a practice fuelled by poverty. Lack of
education contributes to a perpetual cycle of poverty for the child brides and
their families,” she said.
She further noted that girls who go
to school are “less likely to marry early, and are better equipped to make
informed choices about their bodies, space their children and have a career.”
Other
negative effects of child marriage
Uwandu said child marriage leads
to “children giving birth to children; a situation that has dire health
consequences for both young mother and child.”
“Going through the process of
childbearing exposes child brides to health risks of Vesico Vaginal Fistula
(VVF) and Recto Vaginal Fistula (RVF). Child marriage has also been linked to malnutrition.
It exposes a child bride to extreme forms of violence against children (VAC) including
sexual violence, domestic violence and others,” she said.
Uwandu said child marriage has
also led some child brides into conflict with the law as “we saw in the case of
Maimuna Abdulmumini, who was sentenced to death in Nigeria, a violation of
international human rights principles, for allegedly killing her husband at the
age of 13. Maimuna’s case was handled by Avocats Sans Frontières France at the ECOWAS
Court.”
Uwandu argued that domestication
of the Child Rights Acts by all states in Nigeria is important to establish a
uniform legal age for marriage. The implementation of the UBEC Act is also
important, she said, to ensure access to quality education for all young
children with a special focus on girls. This should be followed by deliberate
girl empowerment initiatives encouraging literacy, skill acquisition and
economic empowerment of the girl-child, she said.
“Finally, there is need for
change in social and cultural practices and lots of sensitization campaigns are
required targeting religious and community leaders, including women groups and children,
especially young girls,” Mrs. Uwandu added.
Child’s
Rights Act: Sharp teeth, no bite
A researcher at the University of
Michigan, Tim Braimah, also called on all state governments to domesticate the Child
Rights Act for it to be efficient across the country. Although the majority of
states in Nigeria have domesticated the law, about a dozen states are yet to do
so.
Mrs. Salem Ogunlowo, a therapist
who treats individuals who have mental health concerns, said a person, who is
under 18 years, is supposed to be protected. But when a girl-child is married off
early, she said, her rights as a human being have been violated.
Ogunlowo said that the child may
be physically mature but emotionally and cognitively, she is still immature.
“Her self-worth, dignity, innocence
and protection have been lost or taken away. These sorts of children are emotionally
damaged, marginalized and victimised. They become tools and property in the hands
of their captors. They are not treated as human beings, but as property, therefore,
exposed to harmful practices and constantly abused.
“Such children will live under
constant fear, confusion, anger, anxieties, and will be traumatised and
depressed. It’s also a vicious circle; these abused children or brides give
birth to children who end up being abusive.”
Ogunlowo explained that such a
child bride, if she has the opportunity to kill, will not hesitate to do so,
probably to regain freedom and dignity.
“They end up blaming parents and
the system who were supposed to protect them,” she added.
‘Child
marriage is a crime’
A Child Rights lawyer, Mr. Sunday
Oniyide, said that child marriage is a crime. “The child is a victim. Just because
you are a parent, it doesn’t give you the right to marry her off.”
Oniyide said that it is terrible
that such marriages are still ongoing, with people witnessing it not saying
anything. He said that the battle against child marriages should not be left to
the government alone.
Good
laws, poor enforcement
On his part, Mr. Omejalile said
Nigeria has great laws, but nobody is enforcing the laws. “Take these child
marriages for instance, how many people have been convicted? Nigeria is good at
promulgating laws, but who enforces these laws? Also, parents and guardians
need to be educated. The community members, who are gatekeepers, are supposed
to speak out. Even the media is underreporting the matter. The campaign should
be taken to schools,” he said.
Support for this story was provided by
the Media and Gender Project of Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism
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