Early-Age Marriage in Ethiopia - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages In this particular research, I want to look into the cultural differences that spell the differences on how different societies view, and react to, early-age marriages or unions. In the Americas, I have come to believe that early-age unions, if ever they occur, are generally viewed, or judged, as a result of lack of parental guidance. Ironically, according to research, in Ethiopia, early-age marriages are planned by parents for many different reasons, but mostly to have a little “relief” from continuous poverty. My aim in this research is to try to look at the different reasons and effects of early-age marriages to present them to readers in order to not only learn on the Ethiopian culture, but also to gain an insight into how important this aspect is in a person's life. Should people see how the freedom that young people have in a nation whose civil rights movement is at its highest is sometimes taken for granted because they are not placed in an opposite position, they might place more importance on matters that other people of their age would give everything to have. Background Should people, especially in underdeveloped communities where access to health care is inadequate, delay the age of marriage, problems on the physical, emotional, and mental well-being of these young girls will be lessened. Early-age marriage is a common occurrence in developing countries. One example of this is Ethiopia, where “62% of Ethiopian women aged 20-49 get married before the age of 18,” (Alemu 4) and most, if not all, of these are arranged by the parents of the couple. Furthermore, Ethiopia is ranked as having 12th largest occurrences of early marriages according to the International Center for Research on Women. In such marriages, these young girls are usually just forced to give in to their parents’ wishes for marriage. Permission of the bride is usually not sought, and even prior knowledge or consultation is usually not given. Because of this, the child-bride's physical, emotional, and mental well-being are placed under risk of damage that could sometimes be irreparable. Physical problems such as domestic violence, spousal rape, or complications during child-bearing and giving birth can cause severe damage to the child-bride (Gossaye et al. 2). Additionally, emotional issues such as depression, trauma, and even mental distress are evident in a big percentage of these marriages (Gossaye et al. 2). Furthermore, mental problems can also be observed in such marriages. For one, these child-brides are rarely able to go back to school after marriage. This deprives them of self-development and chances for growth. Self-fulfillment becomes rare for these females. Physical Problems in Early-Age Marriages I have not really immersed in a community where early-age marriages abound. However, there are certain multi-cultural communities in rural settings where these types of marriages or unions can be seen. I have observed that while domestic issues are present in every marriage, such issues are more emphasized if one of the spouses is very young. For one, I have always been against domestic violence. There is a general consensus that aside from the children, women are almost always the victims in domestic violence. If adult woman has problems in preventing it from happening to her, how much more can a child-bride prevent it from happening ...Download file to see next pagesRead More