Child marriages in South Africa: 287 recorded since 2015...
In a world where so much is happening, we cannot believe that this is legal!
As we come together as a community, standing in unison just as another storm (literally this time) tries to break us down, we hear about a question that was asked by a politician in Parliament recently. A question that we weren't ready to hear the answer to.
The answer: "The department of home affairs says since 2015, 287 girls in SA were married before turning 18." (Business Insider)
The debacle, besides the fact that this somewhat orthodox practice is still in existence and practiced, is that this isn't a true representation of the actual number, bearing in mind the informal arrangements that are not recorded.
"When formal and informal marriage are included, along with those who are divorced, separated, widowed or living with a partner, the true figure could swell to as high as 91,000 according to data derived from Stats SA’s 2016 Community Survey." (Business Insider)
Read more: Bid to end child marriage in rural areas
A positive is that Justice Minister Ronald Lamola is looking into legislation that outlaws the traditional practice called, ukuthwala.
Ukuthwala is known as a customary practice, but it is also a form of abduction. Where a man and his friends kidnap a young girl with the intention of compelling her and her family into marriage.
According to law, children under 18 can get married, provided they have permission from their parents, guardian or commissioner of welfare. While, "boys younger than 18 years and girls younger than 15 years of age can also get married, but they will require the consent of the Minister of Home Affairs for the marriage to go ahead." (Business Insider)
Check out more from East Coast Radio
With more and more people spreading their own personal stories about child marriage on social media, we hope that this will slowly diminish this practice or at least educate people and bring about behavioural change.
All we can do is hope...
Check out this video of a woman from New York, who is Bangladesh-American. She shares her story about escaping child marriage...
Courtesy of TikTok:
@ariamustary Reply to @dld88_denise this is still the diet downed version of my life but here you go 🤎 #bengali #nyc #browngirl #bangladesh #childmarriages #browntiktok #healing #firstgen #traumahealingjourney ♬ UNDERWATER WONDERSCAPES (MASTER) - Frederic Bernard
Image Courtesy of Twitter