Summary
#CollectiveActionNow calls for urgent action to end child marriage in Nigeria by enforcing protective laws, challenging harmful societal norms, and ensuring girls' rights to education, autonomy, and a future of their choosing.
Marriage is often defined as a union between two consenting adults, legally and contractually bound in partnership. However, in the case of child marriage, consent becomes a complex issue, as young girls are often too immature to grasp the gravity of marriage and its lifelong responsibilities fully.
Child marriage—also referred to as early or forced marriage—is a practice where children, particularly girls, are married before they turn 18. It strips them of their right to education, bodily autonomy, and a future of their choosing. Although boys can also be victims of child marriage, girls are disproportionately affected due to deeply rooted gender inequalities and societal norms. This practice remains alarmingly prevalent in Nigeria, where some of the highest rates of child marriage in Africa persist, fueled by economic, religious, and cultural factors.
Despite the Child Rights Act (CRA, 2003), which prohibits marriage under the age of 18, conflicting provisions in the Nigerian constitution allow child marriage to continue unchecked in many states. It is time for Nigerian states to urgently align existing laws with the provisions of the CRA, criminalising child marriage and ensuring strict enforcement of protective measures for girls.
The Call to #AccelerateAction
As we observe International Women’s Day 2025, themed #AccelerateAction, we must intensify our fight against sexism, patriarchy, and gender-based injustices—including child marriage. Raising awareness about the dangers of child marriage is not enough; we must actively work to eradicate this harmful practice.
Who are the men marrying these children? Imagine a 50-year-old man marrying a 15-year-old girl—this is not just an issue of forced marriage but one of systemic paedophilia, often masked as tradition, culture, or religious practice. We must reject this outright and challenge any justification for this violation of human rights.
Why Does Child Marriage Persist?
Several factors contribute to the continuation of child marriage in Nigeria, including:
● Poverty: Many impoverished families view marriage as a means of economic relief—one less mouth to feed and a potential financial gain through dowries.
● Gender Inequality: Girls are often treated as commodities, their futures dictated by societal expectations that prioritise male control over female autonomy.
● Illiteracy & Lack of Education: Many families believe that girls do not need formal education if they are destined for marriage and childbearing.
● Religious & Cultural Beliefs: Some traditional and religious interpretations reinforce the idea that girls should marry early to preserve family honour.
The Consequences of Child Marriage
The impacts of child marriage are severe and long-lasting, including:
● Physical and Reproductive Health Risks: Early pregnancies increase the likelihood of obstetric fistula, maternal mortality, and HIV infection.
● Mental Health Impacts: Studies show that child brides experience higher rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidality due to isolation, abuse, and lack of agency over their lives.
● Educational Barriers: Many girls are forced to drop out of school once married, cutting off opportunities for personal and economic growth.
● Increased Risk of Domestic Abuse: Girls in child marriages often face higher levels of intimate partner violence.
● Economic Consequences: Child marriages harm the economy by limiting opportunities for career and vocational advancement for young girls. It, therefore, disempowers women and stifles the prosperity of a country because when a significant number of the workforce is rendered economically inactive, the nation will suffer.
These young girls are exposed to several health risks. Most of them get pregnant at an age where normal vaginal births are difficult because their hips are not wide enough for the baby to be pushed through the vaginal canal, and this can lead to the death of the mother and the baby. Also, the babies are exposed to diseases due to the lack of micronutrients in the girl’s body, and most often, babies do not survive,” says Dr Mariam Doku, a paediatrician at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Ghana.
Hausa women are often subjected to purdah (seclusion) immediately upon marriage if their husbands can afford to do so. They are cut off from contact with all males except their relatives, and strict regulations govern their public movements. For many, marriage is seen as the only path to virtue, making child marriage a deeply entrenched practice among girls as young as ten or twelve.
What Must Be Done?
The Nigerian government must harmonise its laws with international human rights standards to completely ban child marriage across all states. This includes:
● Full implementation of the Child Rights Act in all Nigerian states.
● Strong action plans and enforcement mechanisms to protect vulnerable girls.
● Legal consequences for families and men who facilitate child marriages.
● Increased investment in education and economic empowerment for girls.
● Community and religious leader engagement to challenge harmful norms and promote girls’ rights.
● Providing legal, psychological, and social support to girls escaping child marriages.
The Need for Education and Support
When you educate a girl, you educate the whole nation and help reduce gender-based violence. Every girl child deserves an education, not a forced marriage. Girls who have already been married need support. They may not be aware of their right to education or may need help leaving their marriage. They also require maternal healthcare and access to family planning so they can make informed choices about having children and ensure safe childbirth.
Raising Our Voices for Change!
Women, girls, activists, and allies must stand together and refuse to accept child marriage as a norm. Girls are not property to be sold; they are individuals with rights, dreams, and futures.
As we continue to advocate for women’s rights, let us reaffirm our commitment to ending child marriage by amplifying our voices, demanding policy changes, and ensuring that every girl in Nigeria—and beyond—has the right to choose her destiny.
It is time to #AccelerateAction. The fight for girls’ rights cannot wait.
The Sage Space submits this piece as part of their collaborative efforts with Naija Feminists Media campaign for #CollectiveActionNow to advance gender equality in Nigeria.
