Kathmandu, June 7
Nepal is one of the top 10 countries
worldwide that has a prevalence of child marriage among boys, UNICEF said on
Friday in its first ever in-depth analysis of child grooms.
In Nepal, one in 10 men aged between 20
and 24 were married as children, said the report.
Using data from 82 countries, the study
reveals that child marriage among boys is prevalent across a range of countries
around the world, spanning sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean,
South Asia, and East Asia and the Pacific.
“Marriage steals childhood,” said UNICEF Executive Director
Henrietta Fore. “Child grooms are forced to take on
adult responsibilities for which they may not be ready. Early marriage brings
early fatherhood, and with it added pressure to provide for a family, cutting
short education and job opportunities.”
According to the data, the Central
African Republic has the highest prevalence of child marriage among males (28
per cent), followed by Nicaragua (19 per cent) and Madagascar (13 per cent).
Nepal ranks tenth highest and is the
only country in South Asia with a significant prevalence of child marriages
among both boys and girls.
The new estimates bring the total number
of child brides and child grooms to 765 million. Girls remain disproportionately
affected, with one in five young women aged 20 to 24 years old married before
their 18th birthday, compared to one in 30 young men.
While the prevalence, causes and impact
of child marriage among girls have been extensively studied, little research
exists on child marriage among boys. However, the children most at risk of
child marriage come from the poorest households, live in rural areas, and have
little to no education.
“As we mark the 30th anniversary of the
adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, we need to remember that
marrying boys and girls off while they are still children runs counter to the
rights enshrined in the Convention,” said Fore. “Through further research,
investment and empowerment, we can end this violation.”
Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 8 June 2019. 
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