Child Marriage in Nigeria and Elsewhere:

• There are many reasons for child marriage to continue, and those reasons vary with location. In Nigeria for example, religious and cultural traditions combine with widespread poverty and lack of access to quality education. In Nigeria the rate of child marriage varies with region. In the Southeast, the rate of child marriage is lowest. The rate is highest in the Northwest. Nationwide, 83% of women with no education were married, compared with 13% of women with at least a secondary education, according to statistics from Girls Not Brides  Read More.
• Nationwide, 17% of girls were married by 15 and 43% by 18. That means several million of girls are destined to become housewives and mothers before their adult life has really begun. In the Northwest of Nigeria where there are few jobs and the education system is very poor, it often doesn’t make sense to put off marriage in favor of getting an education and earning some money.
• According to other statistics from UNICEF child marriage is even more common in other parts of Africa and South Asia. In Niger, Chad, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Mozambique, Mali, Malawi, Guinea, and Bangladesh over 50% of girls marry by age 18.

Education to End Child Marriage:

• Ending child marriage begins with better education for parents and for children. Girls who finish primary school tend to marry later and have fewer children. Their schooling means the mothers are better able to care for their families, and having fewer children means there are more resources to invest in each child.
• Papas Land intends to address this need in the future. In two ways. By helping children get an education, other opportunities present themselves. Parental education can also lead some to find alternatives to marrying off their daughters before they are properly educated.
• If you would like to help us make a dent in the child marriage phenomenon by educating parents and helping their daughters go to school, please consider making a donation.