Child marriage is a harmful practice that violates the rights of children, particularly girls. It robs them of their childhood, education, and opportunities, and exposes them to increased risks of violence, abuse, and exploitation. While child marriage is an issue that predominantly affects girls, the role of men and boys in ending this harmful practice is crucial and cannot be overlooked.
The 7th Regional PSS Forum, under the theme “Mental Health in Context” took place at the Birchwood Conference Centre in Johannesburg from the 4th to 5th of October 2023. It was organized jointly with REPSSI, the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, UNICEF ESARO, University of Pretoria and Africa Population and Health Research Centre.
Child sexual abuse refers to the involvement of a child (person less than 18 years old) in sexual activity. Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a violation of the fundamental rights of a child and is deeply rooted in harmful gender norms. It is exacerbated by poverty, insecurity, displacement, drug abuse, conflicts, natural disasters and mental health problems. CSA has remained both pervasive and persistent despite existing legislative, policy and practice initiatives to address it. The majority of CSA cases remain hidden, are heavily under-reported and some even never investigated to a great extent.
Violence is defined under article 19 of the Convention on the Rights of Children to mean all forms of physical or mental violence, injury and abuse, neglect or neglect treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse. Violence against children physical, psyclogical and mental violence, and sexual violence. Violence against children in Uganda is at a rising scale. Reports of cruel and humiliating punishment, abandonment, sexual abuse and all other forms of violence are seen every day.
Families therefore serve an important mechanism for organizing social relationships by conferring certain rights and privileges and imposing duties. It organizes caregiving plus economic and other welfare to its members. It also provides refuge and a source of protection from conflict. Whereas family plays a key social role for the wellbeing and organization of society and are idealized as places of refuge and safety, they are also sites for abuse and injustice.
Education is widely considered to be one of the most important factors in delaying the age of marriage for girls. In developing countries evidence shows that the more education a girl receive, the less likely she is to be marriage before the age of 18 and more likely she is to delay pregnancy and child birth. While education alone cannot end child marriage and teenage pregnancy, it is a critical building block in ending the abusive practices.
Activists have been primarily focusing on the devastating impact of child marriage on girls and girl’s education but in this case boys are also being affected.
According to Girls not Brides , 34% of girls in Uganda are married before their 18th birthday and a 7% are married before the age of 15. 6% of boys are married before their 18th birthday.
Around 1 in 3 girls and women experience physical and sexual violence in their lifetime. Child marriage is a manifestation of this violence, putting girls and women at a high risk of sexual, physical and psychological violence and related outcomes like poor health, depression throughout their lives.
The media is a powerful tool that plays a critical role in driving state accountability; exposing impunity and advocating for change.
Civil Society serves as a pillar of democratic systems, playing an important role in democracy and good governance for pre-and post-conflict societies. CSOs play a critical role in developing, monitoring human rights situations, implementing strategies that promote peace and security, monitoring implementation of agreements, and providing recommendations and information to decision-makers or human rights and advocacy groups.
