Achham is one of the child marriage
prone Districts in Nepal. There are cases of arranged child marriage as well as
girl children love each other and get married with or without consent of their
parents. Specifically, factors like gender discrimination, poverty and lack of
awareness as well as the belief on the traditional practices in the society is contributing
to child marriage in Achham. Girls are often seen as a “burden” to be unloaded
as early as possible through marriage. This perception is driven by the
convention that sons stay with, and financially support, their parents
throughout their lives, while the girls go to live with and “belong to” their
husband and in-laws. This practice creates clear financial incentives for a
family to prioritize education and even basic survival needs, such as food, for
boys over girls. Parents arrange early marriage thinking that their children
will get enough to eat in the home they married. Social pressures often
encourage child marriage. In some communities it is seen as “normal” for girls
to marry immediately after they reach puberty, or earlier. The payment of dowry
is illegal, but the expectation that a bride’s family will pay a higher dowry
in return for a better-educated husband, or to marry off an older girl, creates
financial incentives for child marriage. The negative perception towards
education in the community is another challenge; they are not interested to
invest in the education of their girls. Among the married and /or formally
married girls normally face the problem of yearly pregnancy, polygamy, risky
sexual behaviors, sexual reproductive health hazards, domestic violence and
gender based violence, marital rape, and sexually transmitted infections etc.
that have resulted in a high percentage of child and maternal mortalities too.
Because of socially acceptance authorities keeps silent with child marriage.
prone Districts in Nepal. There are cases of arranged child marriage as well as
girl children love each other and get married with or without consent of their
parents. Specifically, factors like gender discrimination, poverty and lack of
awareness as well as the belief on the traditional practices in the society is contributing
to child marriage in Achham. Girls are often seen as a “burden” to be unloaded
as early as possible through marriage. This perception is driven by the
convention that sons stay with, and financially support, their parents
throughout their lives, while the girls go to live with and “belong to” their
husband and in-laws. This practice creates clear financial incentives for a
family to prioritize education and even basic survival needs, such as food, for
boys over girls. Parents arrange early marriage thinking that their children
will get enough to eat in the home they married. Social pressures often
encourage child marriage. In some communities it is seen as “normal” for girls
to marry immediately after they reach puberty, or earlier. The payment of dowry
is illegal, but the expectation that a bride’s family will pay a higher dowry
in return for a better-educated husband, or to marry off an older girl, creates
financial incentives for child marriage. The negative perception towards
education in the community is another challenge; they are not interested to
invest in the education of their girls. Among the married and /or formally
married girls normally face the problem of yearly pregnancy, polygamy, risky
sexual behaviors, sexual reproductive health hazards, domestic violence and
gender based violence, marital rape, and sexually transmitted infections etc.
that have resulted in a high percentage of child and maternal mortalities too.
Because of socially acceptance authorities keeps silent with child marriage.
