Ending Child Marriage in Belize: A Call to Action

"I am a CHILD, not a BRIDE"

Child marriage refers to any formal marriage or informal union between a child under the age of 18 and an adult or another child. It is recognized globally as a violation of human rights, a harmful practice, and a form of Gender-Based Violence (GBV). Rooted in gender inequality, child marriage disproportionately affects girls, who are often valued less than boys.

The reality in Belize, child marriage, and early unions remain a significant concern:

• 1 in 5 women aged 15-19 is currently married or in an early union.

• 1 in 5 women aged 15-19 in Maya-headed households are married or in a union.

• 1 in 4 women aged 15-19 married or in a union have only a primary education.

• 1 in 10 women aged 15-19 have had a child or are pregnant with their first child.

• 1 in 5 women aged 15-19 from urban areas are currently married or in a union.

Child marriage has devastating consequences for young girls, robbing them of their childhood, education, and future opportunities. It perpetuates cycles of poverty and gender inequality, increases the risk of domestic violence, and exposes young girls to early pregnancies, which can lead to severe health complications and even death.

Chapter 174, the regulations to the Marriage Act, an amendment to the Marriage Act, to change the marital age from 16 to 18 years is a critical step toward protecting our youth and securing a brighter future for all. Child marriage is not just a legal issue but a societal one that requires collective action. By standing together, we can ensure that every child in Belize has the opportunity to grow up free from the risks of early marriage, pursue their education, and reach their full potential.

Let's unite to end child marriage in Belize. Together, we can build a society where every child is valued equally and given the chance to thrive.

Causes of Child Marriage

Despite there being laws against child marriage, the practice persists worldwide due to a complex web of factors.

At its core, child marriage is often rooted in deep-seated gender inequality and enforced gender roles that value girls less than boys. This results in girls being disproportionately affected by the practice. Globally, the prevalence of child marriage among boys is only one-sixth that among girls (UNICEF, 2023).

Poverty is another factor driving the continuation of child marriage. In economically strained households, marrying off daughters is sometimes seen as a way to reduce financial burdens or earn income, as a married daughter is one less mouth to feed. In certain cultures, the groom’s family may provide a bride price, which can incentivize early marriages.

Others engage in the practice of child marriage because they believe it will secure their daughters’ futures or protect them. This leaves girls from the poorest households the most likely to experience this harmful practice.

Cultural customs, traditions, and social norms also play a significant role in perpetuating child marriage. In communities where early marriage is prioritized, girls are often discouraged from pursuing education, with marriage and child-rearing viewed as their only viable options. These multi-generational norms are seen as ways to ensure family honor, secure economic stability, or control female sexuality.

Patriarchal systems, which place value on a girl’s virginity, further limit female autonomy, dictating how a girl should behave, dress, and interact with others, as well as if, who, and when she should marry.

In many societies, girls who form relationships or become pregnant outside of marriage are pressured into early unions to protect both their own and their families’ honor.

Therefore, let us work together to eradicate the underlying factors contributing to child marriage, understanding that this effort will play a pivotal role in ensuring a more promising future for our girls.

Effects of Child Marriage

Child marriage is a human rights violation and a form of gender-based violence (GBV) that endangers girls' lives, health, and futures.

This practice often robs girls of their childhood and hinders their personal development, ultimately compromising their overall well-being.

When girls are forced into marriage, they often become pregnant while still adolescents, putting them at higher risk for severe health complications during pregnancy and childbirth—complications that remain the leading cause of death among older teenage girls.

Child marriage also isolates girls from their families and friends, taking a profound toll on their mental health (UNICEF, 2023).

Furthermore, data have shown that girls who marry before the age of 18 are more likely to experience domestic violence than those who marry as adults (Human Rights Watch, 2018).

In terms of education and moneymaking opportunities, girls who marry are more likely to drop out of school, face difficulties in finding employment, and suffer from poorer economic outcomes than their unmarried peers.

This often traps girls in a cycle of poverty that is also passed down to their children, exacerbating the effects of poverty.

For these reasons, we must recognize the harmful impacts of child marriage, which can transcend generations.

In raising such awareness, we reaffirm the importance of ending child marriage in Belize to ensure that all children have the opportunity to grow, learn, and thrive.

Proposed Change to the Marriage Act - 174

The campaign to end child marriage in Belize outlines proposed amendments to Belize's Marriage Act, specifically focusing on raising the legal age for marriage from 16 to 18.

It includes changes to various sections of the law to reflect this new age requirement, while also removing provisions related to parental or guardian consent for the marriage of minors.

The amendments seek to ensure that no person under 18 can be legally married, removing conditions and exceptions that previously allowed for the marriage of minors with parental consent.

This proposed change emphasizes protecting the rights of young people and ensuring that marriage decisions are made with full consent and maturity.

Therefore, this campaign to raise the age of marriage from 16 to 18 is about more than just legal reform—it is about protecting childhood, ensuring the right to education, and empowering our young people to make informed decisions about their futures.

Together, let’s raise awareness and share the importance of increasing the legal age required for marriage, knowing that it will help to create a pathway for children to grow into their full potential, to dream without limitations, and to pursue their futures on their own terms.

Did You Know?

Ending child marriage is fundamental to achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as it is a cross-cutting issue affecting multiple areas of development.

Child marriage robs millions of girls of their childhood, curtails their education, compromises their health, and limits their economic opportunities.

According to Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage (2020), the practice impacts at least 8 out of the 17 SDGs, making it a significant barrier to global progress.

SDG 5, which focuses on gender equality, specifically includes a target (5.3) to end child marriage.

However, failure to address child marriage will also impede progress on other goals, such as SDG 1 (No Poverty), as child marriage is both a driver and consequence of poverty, trapping girls in generational cycles of economic hardship.

Child brides often leave school early, which not only diminishes their personal development but also hinders the achievement of SDG 4 (Quality Education).

Girls with limited education are more likely to experience poor health outcomes, contributing to high maternal and infant mortality rates (SDG 3, Good Health and Well-being).

Moreover, early marriage exacerbates food insecurity (SDG 2, Zero Hunger) by increasing the likelihood of undernutrition among young mothers and their children.

Economically, child marriage stifles potential growth (SDG 8, Decent Work and Economic Growth), as girls who marry early are denied opportunities to participate meaningfully in the labour market.

On a societal level, child marriage perpetuates gender inequality and reinforces discriminatory norms, holding back efforts to reduce inequalities (SDG 10).

The practice also has long-term impacts on peace and justice (SDG 16), as girls married young are more vulnerable to exploitation, abuse, and violence.

By ending child marriage in Belize, we would be better able to meet the SDG targets. Therefore, together, let us champion this cause of raising the age of marriage from 16 to 18 as it will allow us to build a more just, equitable, and prosperous future for all.

Prevalence of Child Marriage

Child marriage remains a significant issue affecting millions of children worldwide, with over 650 million women alive today being married as children and over 12 million girls married before the age of 18 each year (UNICEF, 2023).

This practice is prevalent in regions like Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Latin America, where poverty, gender inequality, and cultural norms perpetuate early marriage.

In Belize, child marriage is not as widespread as in other countries, but it remains a concern, particularly in rural and indigenous communities. According to UNICEF 2019, persons currently married or in early unions (CMEU) are most prevalent in the region of Stann Creek District (where 36% of women were married before the age of 18), Toledo (23%), and Belize (29%).

When it comes to ethnicity, CMEU is highest among women 15-19 of Maya descent (26.5%), Garifuna descent (21.3%), Mestizo descent (20.8%), and Creole descent (20.7%). CMEU is also highest among men 15-19 of Garifuna descent (20.0%) and males of Creole descent (15.0%) (Belize Country Profile, 2019).

Still, this practice disproportionately affects girls, as one in five girls (20.8 percent) and one in 10 boys (10.7 percent) aged 15 to 19 years are married or in a union (Belize Multiple Indicator Study (MICS) 2015).

Similarly, women with only a primary education represent the highest percentage of women 15-19 who are currently married or in a union (26.1%) while males with higher education represent the highest percentage of men 15-19 who are currently married or in union (20.7%) (Belize Country Profile, 2019).

While many of these unions are driven by economic hardship, with parents believing it offers a better future for their daughters, child marriage exposes girls to higher risks of domestic violence, early pregnancy, and poor educational and mental health outcomes.

Therefore, ending this practice is crucial for empowering girls and developing healthy, sustainable communities. By means of the current campaign to end child marriage in Belize, we can help to make significant strides in curbing this harmful practice and securing a brighter future for our youth.

International Conventions Addressing Child Marriage

Did you know that child marriage violates treaties and conventions that governments around the world are bound by, including:

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) affirms the equality of human rights for women and men and goes even further to establish the right to protection from child marriage.

Article 16 (1) provides that men and women have equal rights to choose a spouse and enter into a marriage only with their free and full consent. CEDAW defines free and full consent as a capacity to understand the meaning and responsibility of marriage, to have access to full information about one’s future spouse and knowledge about the institution of marriage, and the right to exercise a choice about whether to marry, whom to marry and when to marry.

It further describes that consent to marriage can not be free and full when one party is insufficiently mature or experienced to make an informed decision about a life partner.

CEDAW, therefore, clearly prohibits child marriage under article16 (2), providing that “the betrothal and the marriage of a child shall have no legal effect, and all necessary action, including legislation, shall be taken to specify a minimum age for marriage and to make the registration of marriages in an official registry compulsory.”

The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) also outlines provisions for the protection from child marriage as Article 19(1): States Parties shall take all appropriate legislative, administrative, social, and educational measures to protect the child from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse, while in the care of parent(s), legal guardian(s) or any other person who has the care of the child.

Under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 16 (1) states that “men and women of FULL AGE, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage, and at its dissolution”.

Finally, the Convention on Consent to Marriage, Minimum Age for Marriage and Registration of Marriages also prohibits forced and early marriages, requiring States Parties to eliminate the marriage of girls under the age of puberty, to stipulate a minimum age of marriage, and to establish measures for the registration of all marriages.

For this reason, considering that various international law treaties have all to varying degrees tackled the issue of child marriage, it is now up to us to put an end to this practice to ensure that children in Belize have the rights and freedom to fully enjoy their childhood.

How Can You Help End Child Marriage in Belize?

Even though child marriage has been a pressing issue in Belize, affecting the rights and futures of many young girls, there are ways we all can help put an end to this harmful practice.

You can begin by spreading crucial information and raising awareness about the impacts of child marriage on children's lives, which includes restricting their access to education and economic opportunities.

You can also help to end child marriage by encouraging girls to pursue their education and independence which in turn helps to empower the next generation of women.

Likewise, we can all work together to educate ourselves, our families, and our communities to understand children's rights and the importance of delaying marriage until the legal age.

Finally, by supporting the campaign to increase the legal age for marriage to 18, you can help to ensure that Belize takes a critical step in safeguarding children's futures and promoting a healthier, more equitable society.

Considering that child marriage not only undermines individual futures but also hinders societal progress as a whole, this initiative to end child marriage in Belize requires the effort of all of us to make a true and lasting change.

Whether through community engagement, educational outreach, or advocacy, your support can make the world of a difference.

So, join us in the movement to stop child marriage and ensure that every child has the opportunity to thrive. Only together, can we truly protect the rights of children and build a better Belize for all.

Sources:

UNICEF. "Child Marriage: Latest Trends and Future Prospects." UNICEF Data, Mar. 2023, www.unicef.org/protection/child-marriage.

Girls Not Brides. "Ending Child Marriage in Belize: A Country Profile." Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage, 2020, www.girlsnotbrides.org/about-child-marriage/.

Human Rights Watch. "Child Marriage: Global Overview of the Issue." Human Rights Watch, 2018, www.hrw.org/topic/womens-rights/child-marriage.

Belize Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS). "Final Report 2015." UNICEF Belize, 2015, www.unicef.org/belize/reports/mics-final-report-2015. .

United Nations General Assembly. "Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)." United Nations, 18 Dec. 1979, www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/text/econvention.htm.

United Nations. "Sustainable Development Goals." United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, 2020, sdgs.un.org/goals.