Historically found in many of the world regions, and accepted within many cultures, is the social practice of child marriage. That is the religious-civil union between an adult and a child, someone who is 13 years of age or younger.
This practice happens daily on several continents, particularly in Africa, Asia, Asia Minor-Middle Eastern Nations, and Latin America where poverty places limitations to the education and well-being of both children and adults alike. But the social influences of poverty cannot be the only thing to blame here. as a deterioration of societal norms, of morally and ethically declining social structures, turn humanity’s negativity inwards towards the family, once protected, but now a breeding ground for societal greed, lust and abuse.
Many national governments have cracked down upon underage marriages, as to the slave trade of children and women throughout the world. What should be a community precious gift, a child, becomes a means to an end. That is to say that children are sold by their families, traded for land and property, and abused by their elders under the guise of perverted religious-social norms. Many religions in the past allowed underage marriage for several reasons….
The Average life span tended to be very short, placing demands upon women to appease males’ desires for children.
Women often died before their time, and male counterparts looked to the young as a source of sexual partnership.
The governmental and social structures allowed intermarriage between the elderly and youths of similar class structures.
Biblical theology reinforces religious traditions allowing the aged and youth to marry(Judaic, Christian and Islamic)
Incest, child abuse, and abuse of women are rampant within many nations, within both financial and impoverished communities.
Underaged marriage places society at risk, presenting the world with a situation where women cannot protect their young, where a human being (child) is seen as a possession that can be traded, sold or married to an aged person of wealth. Financial exchanges happen, much like the practice of presenting a dowry, but the child is basically sold.
For example In Mozambique children under the age of 12 are married to older partners daily. A law to prevent such marriages was passed in 2019, but the practice continues with social acceptance. The law puts legal sanctions upon tribal, religious and civil leaders who promote, allow and officiate at such marriages. This strong legal framework simply is not effective enough to end centuries-old traditions. International attention is placed on the harm placed upon these youthful brides, who suffer mental and physical harm from their new husbands and their families. Most youthful brides are innocent, and unprepared for sexual intercourse, suffering tearing of vaginal muscles, as to other physical abuses. Many of these men are also allowed to return their brides to their families if not pleased with their marriage, disgracing the bride, her family and the community. These young girls are often shunned by their families, and communities and sometimes killed. Suicide is another side effect of underage marriage. Within many cultural-societal traditions what happens in the marriage is hidden and protected by the greater community, so abuse, rape and beatings can and do occur.
Religious and Biblical Traditions show underaged marriage to be acceptable within their sacred books, so why not in contemporary society? Within several US States underage age marriage is allowed. In Western Canada underage marriage is happening particularly within the Muslim Community. I have seen very aged gentlemen visit a neighbour and spend time with a 12-year-old girl, affectionately chatting with them. I asked what was going on, to be told the man was wooing the child. I told the parents such practices were illegal in Canada. They told me the courting would take years and the marriage would not happen until the child was 16 years of age, a time the parents could give approval. Cultural traditions practiced in the Old World are assuredly transplanted to the New World. In Pennsylvania, I witnessed unexpectedly the marriage of two young girls (aged 12-14) to an elderly fellow. The Christian Church was an independent organization affiliated with the Mormon Confederation. Police were present, so I guess they expected possible trouble to occur. Objecting to the practice only resulted in our forcible expulsion.
Underaged Marriage seems to be an assault upon many things, such as the development of a child’s personality, their freedom to choose a future direction, the development of the child’s self-understanding their own personhood, their body and mind. For many men to marry such a young person is certainly an act to gain control of the very young woman, their body, their sex, and their future. Like Incest, marrying a child is nothing more than an act of possession, ownership and misguided emotional desire leading to powering over someone that should be protected by the adult, not used for selfish needs.
We live in a society that allows many things that were once considered anti-social and even deviant. This liberalism, this open-mindedness is welcomed, but our responsibility to protect the weak, the innocent, the misguided even, remains with us. Underaged children being married to adults is wrong. If someone loves another, then waiting an acceptable period until the child is of age, should be demanded by society, our communities and the authorities that regulate us.
Steven Kaszab
Bradford, Ontario
[email protected]
