Poverty and child marriage: why families need support
Poverty is one of the main reasons families marry their daughters young. This article explains that link and shows how support for families can keep girls safe.
When hardship decides
In Yemen, news reports in 2013 noted that poor families marrying young girls off for money remained common. A family in debt, or without enough food, may see a daughter's marriage as a way to cope.
The cost falls on the girl. She often leaves school, takes on adult duties and loses the chance to build her own future.
A cycle that repeats
A girl who marries young has fewer chances to learn a skill or earn an income. Her own children may then grow up in the same hardship.
Child marriage does not end poverty. It passes it on.
Support that protects
- Help families to meet basic needs, so that a daughter is not seen as a burden.
- Keep girls in school, where they gain knowledge and confidence.
- Offer young women training and paths to work.
- Raise awareness of the harm that early marriage causes.
Economic empowerment gives girls and their families real choices. When a family can stand on its own feet, a daughter can stay a child.