Parents cautioned on implication of early marriage

Parents cautioned on implication of early marriage

Stakeholders in New Nyanya and Mararaba in Karu Local Government Area in Nasarawa State on Friday, advised parents to guard against giving out their teenage children in early marriage.

A cross section of those who spoke with our correspondent in separate interviews, gave the advice in the local government area.

They decried the increasing cases of early marriage and its psychological, physical, spiritual, mental and economic effects on the affected teenager.

Mr Effiong Okon, a civil servant, said early marriage, in most cases, always result in such teenagers depending on relations or government due to inadequate means of livelihood.

” In most cases, it is the teenagers involved that are mostly victims of early marriage, when they are forced to marry early; they are made to rely on others for her daily needs.

“This makes her an economic burden on people around her, “ he said.

Okon, therefore, advised parents not to engage their teenage girls in such act, stressing that given out teenage girls for marriage had negative effects on the victims in particular and the society at large.

He stressed the importance of teenagers acquiring formal education before getting married, adding that a child that was supposed to be in school, should not be given out in marriage.

According to him, given a teenage out for marriage, connotes great danger because such a child can end up not going to school again and becomes a liability on the society.

He also said that that denying the child right to education could also affect her contribution to the economic and social development of the country.

“ Marriage has its own psychological effect and challenges; it is not for babies, rather for matured persons involved.

“Engaging your child in an early marriage can make a child to develop psychological trauma because he or she will find it difficult to cope with the challenges involve in marriage.

“Most of the broken homes is as a result of early marriage, a child that is not matured and as well as not financially stable, when given out from marriage, is bound to be problem to the home and the larger society.

“In a case of male child, the boy will definitely depend on his parents to maintain his marriage,“ he said.

According to Okon, when a teenager is deprived the opportunity of receiving the required education, to enable him or her contribute to the economic growth of the society, it makes him or her feel unfulfilled.

Similarly, Mr Elvis Destiny, a family counselor, identified poverty as the major cause of child early marriage in the society.

Destiny said a lot of teenage girls, especially among the poor families, were married out to reduce the financial burden of their families.

According to him, some families, too, give out their female teenagers for early marriage for economic gains, thinking that that when “luck shines on such teenagers,“ in her matrimonial home, they would benefit.

He also decried the health implication of early marriage, which she said exposed the teenagers to Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), cervical cancer, obstetric fistulas and death in extreme cases, during child birth.

According to him, marriage carries various responsibilities adding that if such a child does not have the mindset of shouldering responsibilities that come with marriage, her marriage can be disastrous.

” Parents should disallow such act; they have to protect and checkmate their children against early marriage because a child without education can constitute nuisance to the society.

” It is time for government to provide some platforms in rural areas whereby parents are enlightened on the hazards of early marriage,

” You cannot give what you do not have, lack of exposure and awareness remain the major cause of early marriage,” he said.

Another resident, Mrs Juliet Okonkwo, a nurse, said that when female child was not matured enough for marriage, going into it could lead to high rate of maternal mortality.

According to Okonkwo, when a girl-child becomes pregnant with her body not ready for that, she is at the risk of complications during pregnancy thus, endangering her life and child.

” There is every tendency for the young mother to be exposed to Vesicovlaginal fistula (VVF), an abnormal fistullous tract that extends between the bladder in such instance.

” VVF is also a situation whereby the vagina allows the continuous involuntary discharge of urine into the vaginal vault, thereby creating serious problem for the child,” she said.

Source: NAN

Photo Credit: Google