The curse of early child marriages

Early child marriage is seen to be becoming the cause of much untimely deaths in the country and we need some serious intervention. Any formal marriage or informal union between a child of under the age of 18 and an adult or another child constitutes child marriage. It does not matter if the two came into an agreement for as long as a child is involved in the union it is against the law.

Most of these marriages are often poverty-driven and they have many effects on the girl’s health and future.

Some of the risks that come with these marriages include increased exposure to sexually transmitted diseases, cervical cancer and premature deaths during childbirth. Several of these marriages however are arrangements between the girl child’s parents and the spouse who at times is often an old well-off man.

In most of these arrangements the main issue is poverty or the fear that a girl might grow up to be not so lucky enough to get tied down and this is most black parents’ worst fear. The emotional toll early marriages have on young brides is very scary and sometimes results in depression which ends in suicide if one doesn’t get help.

Just like the issue of patriarchy, early marriage is a global phenomenon. Many women have been telling their stories to raise awareness and a lot of organisations have stepped up to help end or at least reduce this devastating act.

We have seen and heard ‘M’e ‘Masenate Mohato Seeiso alongside World Vision Lesotho campaign against early child marriages. She has in so many times pleaded with communities to take action in ending this heartless act but I am so sure I have never heard of any case in the courts where a case was filed on early child marriage.

What I have heard however are stories of women who are victims of this act and I can cite an example of the legendary ‘M’e Puseletso Seema. ‘M’e Seema is a musician and performer of the famo musical traditional music. She obtained the Queen of Famo title because she was the first woman to join and conquer the male-dominated famo scene.

She was raped and forced to marry her assailant at a very young age. Her story is however a little different because unlike the arranged type of marriages, her shame couldn’t allow her to go home and face her mother after her boyfriend forced himself on her so she decided to elope with him. Hence she says in her story that she was forced to marry the man that had raped her.

I don’t know if it will sound hardnosed to use the word “fortunately”, but that away, the husband that robbed her of her childhood and made her a mother and wife at a very young age died in 1970 when she was only 21, leaving her with three children to look after. Nonetheless, this did not stop ‘M’e Seema from succeeding in what she loved and valued dearly – music.

Unlike some victims who manage to escape the heartless act, she is a woman that never grew to hate men and seek vengeance of what happened before she eloped. She joined a criminal gang at the local mines not to equip herself so she could fight back but to write songs and perform with her troupe. That is when she gained the full entry into the male dominated scene of famo.

This just reminded me of something. Are there any shelters for victims of early marriages who managed to walk out? Are they offered counselling? How many cases have been reported of this act and what action has been taken besides just campaigning? Would the perpetrator of this act be granted bail?

How long would they be sentenced? What exactly is the government doing because the Mohale’s Hoek district has been gracing us with massive numbers of early child marriages?

Back to the positive influence on many women who is ‘M’e Seema. One would expect her to have had a motive when she warmed her way in the male-dominated industry, but I guess the only revenge was to beat the anger she had in her heart.

She gained a leadership title, dominating most men and for her I think that was the best way to say to men: “My past does not define who I am and it does not pave way for my future. I was vulnerable as a child but no matter what one of you did to me, I can beat you at what you are expected to be good at.”

The Marriage Act 1974 states that the minimum legal age of marriage is 18-years for boys and 16-years for girls. How did we come to the age conclusion though? Were there any biological tests run before deciding a girl is mentally ready for marriage at 16?

Aren’t they supposed to be skipping rope or attending coding classes at that age because technology is the new trend and there is a shortage of women in that field?

Aren’t they supposed to be in a phase where they are manifesting their dreams so they can change this world? What kind of people are we that allow children who are supposed to be attending classes to get married and have children? What kind of family would a 16-year-old and an 18-year-old have?

Parents, schools and community leaders need to come up with strategies to end this devastating act because our concerns on the streets and papers are not moving anyone. What is happening to the youth of Mohale’s Hoek says it all.

Empowerment programmes where girls may be equipped with the necessary information on early child marriage should be taken more seriously.

Economic support and incentives to struggling families should be provided. These strategies and more should be well implemented and everyone should be sensitised about issues of early child marriage the same way people were sensitised about Covid-19.

Then we can rest assured that there will be some change and most girls will live their childhood without any fears and access high quality education.

Bokang Masasa