Government Endorsing “Child Marriage”? 17-Year-Old Reportedly Among Kano Newlyweds
The mass wedding programme of the Kano State Government, which saw 1,500 couples get married, has created fresh concerns for child protection, following a participant, Umar Abdullah, who told News Central TV that he was getting married to a 17-year-old girl.
The mass wedding programme, which was organised by the Kano State Hisbah Board, was touted as a social intervention to help the vulnerable residents and ease the financial burden of marriage.
Governor Abba Yusuf advised the newlyweds to construct their houses on patience, justice, mutual respect and understanding. He also urged them to put into practice the pre-marital counseling lessons.
The question that needs to be asked, however, is whether a government-supported marriage programme can have a negative impact by inadvertently facilitating or legitimising “child marriage”?
Child-protection standards typically define a child as anyone under 18, irrespective of whether state laws are domesticated or whether there are provisions in state laws that make exceptions around marriage. If the definition is followed, then a 17-year-old is still a child.
The issue is not just the age at which marriage is allowed by a specific legal or cultural system. It’s also a question of whether children are being shielded from practices that may impact their learning, health, safety, growth and their capacity to make informed choices about their future.
With government backing for mass weddings, it is especially important to take precautions. Authorities should make sure that all the participants are of legal age and that no child is forced, coerced or otherwise assisted in marriage.
The reported case also underscores the importance of improving transparency on the screening and verification procedures before the approval of publicly funded marriage programmes.
The big issue for child protection groups is whether the government is protecting children or promoting “child marriage” when it is involved in a programme of marriage.
