"Teachers and Education Department officials said that 100 percent attendance on the first day meant that no child marriage was performed in the village that year." What a small and yet huge step for the young girls of the village Vadavathur Panchayat of Jambumadai. Granted, there are still child marriages taking place, but it is obvious that the focus is changing to the importance of higher education for both younger boys and girls. There has been a hot line installed for people to call about child marriages, and school and law officials have been stepping in when necessary. As schools offer higher education and classes beyond class VIII, there will be a higher focus placed on education which, hopefully will only in turn decrease the number of child marriages. Hopefully the "upgradation" of schools will force parents to realize that children could be studying, not marrying.
(http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/article3484325.ece)
In honesty, what does this mean for young children in these rural villages? Does it mean that if your school is not upgrading or if the school is too far to travel, that you will be forced to marry? Does it mean that if you do not call into the hot line or if no one in your family is willing to approach the officials, your marriage will go overlooked? Does it mean that if your father forces this on you and you have absolutely no say, that you will not be able to study instead of marry? I am not sure what it means. I think that for this village, these steps are very good steps. The focus on education is not only good for the decrease in child marriage but also the increase in mortality rates, decrease in poverty, and increase standard of living. Education has a lot of positive impacts on a person/village/state/country/nation/world.
In other news around the world, like in Niger, young girls are still being subjected to child marriage but because of the lack of food. Because of the tragic and epic food shortage going on in Niger currently, girls are being sold for livestock and food. To the families who are choosing this drastic method they say the have no choice; they are not happy to sell their daughters, but there is just not any other choice. Fortunately for Fatima Ismaghail, 13, was traded for 20 goats was rescued from the arranged marriage by a local judge.The young girl was sold to her cousin by her father without any say-so whatsoever, and even the young girl's mother said she was helpless in the 'transaction.' The young girl said that she was happy of being out of the arrangement and hopes to get married on her own terms when the time is right.
(http://gulfnews.com/news/world/other-world/as-niger-starves-father-sells-daughter-for-20-goats-1.1032240)
But in Niger, where the food shortage is not helping the decrease in child marriage, what do you honestly expect a family to do? Granted, I never want to think of a young girl in terms of livestock or food rations, but if your family is starving...what would you do? I do not want to point the finger or pass judgment on this family, or the others who have traded their daughters for food. I wish that the rest of the world would step up and help Niger, and other countries who are suffering from the food shortage, so that their youth can live a life where they are not bringing more youth into an already starving country. The youth in Niger deserve the same kind of treatment mentioned in the article above - an increase in focus on education - but hell it is hard to say lets increase the education focus when most of their population just want to live to tomorrow without starving.
So as it is very visible, the state of child marriage differs all around the world. There are definite progressive steps in certain areas, where some countries are being held back from being a s productive because of their own issues. Regardless, it is great to see a focus on education for all and the importance of children being children.
(http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/article3484325.ece)
In honesty, what does this mean for young children in these rural villages? Does it mean that if your school is not upgrading or if the school is too far to travel, that you will be forced to marry? Does it mean that if you do not call into the hot line or if no one in your family is willing to approach the officials, your marriage will go overlooked? Does it mean that if your father forces this on you and you have absolutely no say, that you will not be able to study instead of marry? I am not sure what it means. I think that for this village, these steps are very good steps. The focus on education is not only good for the decrease in child marriage but also the increase in mortality rates, decrease in poverty, and increase standard of living. Education has a lot of positive impacts on a person/village/state/country/nation/world.
In other news around the world, like in Niger, young girls are still being subjected to child marriage but because of the lack of food. Because of the tragic and epic food shortage going on in Niger currently, girls are being sold for livestock and food. To the families who are choosing this drastic method they say the have no choice; they are not happy to sell their daughters, but there is just not any other choice. Fortunately for Fatima Ismaghail, 13, was traded for 20 goats was rescued from the arranged marriage by a local judge.The young girl was sold to her cousin by her father without any say-so whatsoever, and even the young girl's mother said she was helpless in the 'transaction.' The young girl said that she was happy of being out of the arrangement and hopes to get married on her own terms when the time is right.
(http://gulfnews.com/news/world/other-world/as-niger-starves-father-sells-daughter-for-20-goats-1.1032240)
But in Niger, where the food shortage is not helping the decrease in child marriage, what do you honestly expect a family to do? Granted, I never want to think of a young girl in terms of livestock or food rations, but if your family is starving...what would you do? I do not want to point the finger or pass judgment on this family, or the others who have traded their daughters for food. I wish that the rest of the world would step up and help Niger, and other countries who are suffering from the food shortage, so that their youth can live a life where they are not bringing more youth into an already starving country. The youth in Niger deserve the same kind of treatment mentioned in the article above - an increase in focus on education - but hell it is hard to say lets increase the education focus when most of their population just want to live to tomorrow without starving.
So as it is very visible, the state of child marriage differs all around the world. There are definite progressive steps in certain areas, where some countries are being held back from being a s productive because of their own issues. Regardless, it is great to see a focus on education for all and the importance of children being children.
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