A girl every two seconds marries before the age of 18 in the world and totally every year 15 million girls become child brides.
There are four main factors that directly influence to the early marriage rates in Azerbaijan.
The huge number of girls under 18 marry just because of parental pressure which is crime. Under Article 176-1 of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan, forced marriage is punishable by up to two years’ imprisonment or a fine of AZN 2,000-3,000 ($1,500-$1,800) for forcing an adult woman into marriage. If a minor under the age of 18 is forced into marriage, the penalty rises to four years’ imprisonment or a fine from AZN 3,000 ($1,800) to AZN 4,000 ($2,500).
Although the official poverty rate in Azerbaijan is below 6 per cent, poverty affects many families. The inability to meet the basic needs of their children was identified as a factor in some parents’ decisions to try marry their daughters off early, in order that they might have a better life with their husband’s family.
During the last 5 years the number of early marriages dropped sharply in comparison with previous years due to rising the marriage age from 17 to 18 in Azerbaijan, as officials claimed.
However, evaluating the actual extent of early marriage is complicated by the lack of statistical data. The official statistics reflect marriages and divorces registered at state, civil registration agencies. Only this form of registration of citizens’ marital status is legally binding.
According to official statistics the highest rate of early marriages was in Aghsu region, approximately three per 1000 girls under 18.
Indirect indicators for child marriage, such as the number of female students enrolling in university, also show considerable regional variation. According to data from the State Student Admittance Commission, the proportion of girls among university entrants in the southern districts of Yardimli, Lerik, Jalilabad, and Masalli fluctuates between 8 per cent and 33 per cent, while the proportion of girls among university entrants from Zaqatala, Balaken, and Gakh districts in the northwest part of the Republic is 63 to 69 per cent.
When a girl delays marriage, everyone benefits. A girl who marries later is more likely to stay in school, work, and reinvest her income into her family. Crucially, a girl who marries later is more empowered to choose whether, when, and how many children to have. When investments in girls are made, everyone benefits: their families, communities, and most importantly, the girls themselves.
There is a huge cost to inaction on child marriage. It is time for policy-makers, parliamentarians, communities, families and young people to address this issue head on. Let’s deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. Let girls be girls.
Child marriage violates girls’ rights, denies them of their childhood, disrupts their education, jeopardises their health, and limits their opportunities. No cultural, religious, or economic rationale for child marriage can possibly justify the damage these marriages do to young girls and their potential.
A girl should have the right to choose whom she marries and when. Parents want the best for their children, and need to support their girls’ choices and decisions to marry.
4 ways we can stop early marriage
#GirlsNotBrides
Farid Hasanov
