When children are asked to marry
One thing that's been absent from the discourse on Senator Yerima and his 14 year old Egyptian wife is the health risks associated with newly married girls becoming pregnant. The most tragic of these is obstetric fistula. Young girls often lose their babies because their bodies are not developed enough for childbirth and then suffer the awful consequences of fistula. Nigeria unfortunately has one of the highest fistula prevalence rates on the continent, with 20,000 new cases each year. The link between obstetric fistula and the common practice of child marriage in the North is obvious for anyone to see. A thousand years ago, people could be excused for not understanding these things. For practices to be justified on account of ancient historical/theological precedent in the face of the obviousness of suffering is a lesson in stone stage thinking. Child marriage ruins thousands of young girls lives in Nigeria every year. How is it possible to know about obstetric fistula and yet continue to be a proponent of child marriage?
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4 comments:
How is it possible? A deadly combination of culture and unbelievable ignorance!
I don’t think our ‘lawmakers’ understand the root causes of the real issue. Until they do, those numbers will continue.
I put lawmakers in quotation because we keep electing ignorant nincompoops, like the dimwit Yerima
On another note, its interesting that the prevalence rates are well documented and the problem isn't dealt with
Hey...I wrote on all that already in an article, sent it to Chxta...was also surprised that nobody was talking talking about it...(have no idea when or if its gonna go on NEXT)
it was in the statement by the National Council of Womens Societies. Also Josephine Annenih and her team were on a late night TV show giving graphic details on the issue. Plenty of statistics too on literacy, VVF, maternal mortlity etc...
Punch newspaper May 3 2010
The National Council of Women Societies on Sunday disclosed their readiness to come out in their numbers to protest the marriage of former governor of Zamfara State, Ahmed Sani, to a 13-year old Egyptian girl.
In a statement made available to our correspondent in Lokoja, the National President of the body, Hajia Ramatu Usman, said the protest had become necessary since the Federal Government had not deemed it fit to investigate and sanction Ahmed.
They berated the government for not standing up to defend the girl’s interest, stating that the government’s silence implied that it approved of Sani’s action.
The NCWS, the umbrella women’s organisation in Nigeria vowed that its members would take to the streets if the government failed to show interest in the matter.
Usman explained that the child bride was likely to become pregnant at an early age and that there was a strong correlation between the age of a mother and maternal mortality.
She said, “Girls of ages l0-14 are five times more likely to die in pregnancy or childbirth than women aged 20-24; and girls aged 15-19 are twice as likely to die. Young mothers face higher risks during pregnancies, including complications such as heavy bleeding, fistula, infection, anaemia and eclampsia, which contribute to higher mortality rates of both mother and child.
“At a young age, a girl has not developed fully and her body may strain under the effort of child birth, which can result in obstructed labour and obstetric fistula. Obstetric fistula can also be caused by the early sexual relations associated with child marriage, which takes place sometimes even before menarche or first menstruation.”
She added, “Due to the limited autonomy or freedom of movement, young wives are not able to negotiate access to health care, unable to access health services because of distance, fear and expense or the need for permission from a spouse or in-laws. These barriers aggravate the risks of maternal complications and mortality for pregnant adolescents.”
Usman stated that the age disparity between a child bride and her husband, in addition to her low economic autonomy, further increased the girl’s vulnerability to HIV/AIDS.
“It exacerbates the abilities of girls and women to make and negotiate sexual decisions, including whether or not to engage in sexual activity, issues relating to the use of contraception and condoms for protecting against HIV infection, and also their ability to demand fidelity from their husbands,” she noted.
While vowing to embark on the protest march, the group pledged that the mass action was not negotiable, because “a majority of Nigerians might begin to follow that same ignoble path Sani is treading if nothing is done urgently by the present administration.”
According to the NCWS, “As mothers, we know it is a huge responsibility for a young girl to become a wife and mother. Because these girls are not adequately prepared for these roles, this heavy burden has a serious impact on their psychological welfare, their perceptions of themselves and also their relationship.
“Also, they are more likely to suffer abuse and violence, with inevitable psychological as well as physical consequences. Violent behaviour can take the form of physical harm, psychological attacks, threatening behaviour and forced sexual acts, including rape; and girls that enter families as brides often become domestic and sex slaves.”
it was in the statement by the National Council of Womens Societies. Also Josephine Annenih and her team were on a late night TV show giving graphic details on the issue. Plenty of statistics too on literacy, VVF, maternal mortlity etc...
Punch newspaper May 3 2010
The National Council of Women Societies on Sunday disclosed their readiness to come out in their numbers to protest the marriage of former governor of Zamfara State, Ahmed Sani, to a 13-year old Egyptian girl.
In a statement made available to our correspondent in Lokoja, the National President of the body, Hajia Ramatu Usman, said the protest had become necessary since the Federal Government had not deemed it fit to investigate and sanction Ahmed.
They berated the government for not standing up to defend the girl’s interest, stating that the government’s silence implied that it approved of Sani’s action.
The NCWS, the umbrella women’s organisation in Nigeria vowed that its members would take to the streets if the government failed to show interest in the matter.
Usman explained that the child bride was likely to become pregnant at an early age and that there was a strong correlation between the age of a mother and maternal mortality.
She said, “Girls of ages l0-14 are five times more likely to die in pregnancy or childbirth than women aged 20-24; and girls aged 15-19 are twice as likely to die. Young mothers face higher risks during pregnancies, including complications such as heavy bleeding, fistula, infection, anaemia and eclampsia, which contribute to higher mortality rates of both mother and child.
“At a young age, a girl has not developed fully and her body may strain under the effort of child birth, which can result in obstructed labour and obstetric fistula. Obstetric fistula can also be caused by the early sexual relations associated with child marriage, which takes place sometimes even before menarche or first menstruation.”
She added, “Due to the limited autonomy or freedom of movement, young wives are not able to negotiate access to health care, unable to access health services because of distance, fear and expense or the need for permission from a spouse or in-laws. These barriers aggravate the risks of maternal complications and mortality for pregnant adolescents.”
Usman stated that the age disparity between a child bride and her husband, in addition to her low economic autonomy, further increased the girl’s vulnerability to HIV/AIDS.
“It exacerbates the abilities of girls and women to make and negotiate sexual decisions, including whether or not to engage in sexual activity, issues relating to the use of contraception and condoms for protecting against HIV infection, and also their ability to demand fidelity from their husbands,” she noted.
While vowing to embark on the protest march, the group pledged that the mass action was not negotiable, because “a majority of Nigerians might begin to follow that same ignoble path Sani is treading if nothing is done urgently by the present administration.”
According to the NCWS, “As mothers, we know it is a huge responsibility for a young girl to become a wife and mother. Because these girls are not adequately prepared for these roles, this heavy burden has a serious impact on their psychological welfare, their perceptions of themselves and also their relationship.
“Also, they are more likely to suffer abuse and violence, with inevitable psychological as well as physical consequences. Violent behaviour can take the form of physical harm, psychological attacks, threatening behaviour and forced sexual acts, including rape; and girls that enter families as brides often become domestic and sex slaves.”
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