Abusing the Girl Child!!

Amina is 9years and betrothed to Alhaji Musa who happened to be her father’s longtime friend. The arrangement was that when she is 10years she will be moving to her husband’s house!! I was shocked to find out that this little girl does not even know the plans of her parent and anytime Alhaji Musa comes to their house to visit her family, she always insult him if he calls her his wife! Imagine her wearing only pant and molding a house with sand on the ground and laughing with her friends about what they are creating. Don’t forget that when she is through with playing and she is dirty, her mother goes to bath her!

I was curious about her and I actually wanted to know her state of mind! One day, I strolled to where she normally plays with her friends and I tried talking with her to know her state of mind and I realized that she could not even express herself because to her I was disturbing her from playing with her friends. How can I blame her reactions towards me when I know that I was talking to a child! But one striking answer she gave me when I asked her if she wanted to marry was a big NO! She wants to be a Doctor when she grows up!! A sweet little girl with a great dream but the selfish desires of her parent will never make it happen. I want to believe that many marriages are related to poverty, with parents needing the bride price of a daughter to feed, clothe, educate, and house the rest of the family. Amina told me to leave her alone because she wants to go and cook with sand! Lol!

Just recently I heard that the Senate gave a legislative seal of approval for the marriage of underage girls!! What the heck is wrong with these politicians? It must be a dream! Wake up girl, it is real!  Gush I weep for this nation! I don’t want to imagine my little girl getting married now! That is CHILD ABUSE!! (Shouting!).

Do you know that child marriage is the major cause of pregnancies before age 15? Young brides typically become sexually active as soon as they are married, sometimes before their first menstruation. Often living in their husband's household and community, they face intense pressures to bear children as soon as possible which jeopardize their health. Because their bodies (bone structure, pelvis and reproductive organs) are not yet fully developed they run a very high risk of complications in pregnancy and childbirth compared with older adolescents. They are also more vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV/AIDS.

Words without action are meaningless! This question keeps troubling me! What should be done to stop this move of underage marriage in Nigeria? I won’t be surprise if toddlers will be made to get married very soon! (I bow down at the feet of Jesus to ask for mercy on this nation)! Amen.

I was researching on the ways to curb this danger and I came across these very vital points and thought to share with you!

1.      Promote campaigns for the elimination of child marriage among community leaders and organizations, stressing the benefits to girls' health and human rights, families, and communities.

2.      Expand investments in girls' education, the quality of teaching, the safety of school environments, and promote universal attendance of all girls. Eliminate school fees and provide incentives for parents to send their daughters to school.

3.      Support comprehensive sexuality education programs in schools and communities that begin early in primary school and continue through adolescence.

4.      Provide vocational training and financial literacy programs, both in schools and also for out-of-school girls ages 10-14, to facilitate their income-earning capacity and employment now or later.

5.      Invest in the sexual and reproductive health of young adolescent girls, both married and unmarried, by providing comprehensive reproductive health care that is accessible to girls of all ages and includes family planning and HIV prevention services, pregnancy and delivery care, and information and education on sexual and reproductive health.

Each of these actions promotes the health and well-being of young adolescent girls and contributes to the elimination of child marriage.

My good friends can we come together and chart a way forward to stop this move by men who are old enough to be grandfathers to these little girls but choose to abuse them by marrying them! If you actually want to move against the marriage of underage girls then add your voice by commenting. Your voice may put an end to this madness!