THERE are social, health, psychological and economic dimensions to the issue of child marriages, which, unfortunately, have been on the increase in our society. This is a complicated issue because the brides or bridegrooms involved in the marriage are under the age of 18. Child marriages should be banned for several reasons. Firstly, the body of an underage girl has not fully developed. Hence, marrying her off at this age might negatively affect her health, because she is not ready to give birth. Secondly, psychologists say depriving an underage girl of her parents' love and the right to enjoy her childhood to the maximum will make her suffer great pressure in later life and she might develop hysteria, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety and a personality disorder. Moreover, she might face difficulty getting along with her husband because she still does not fully understand what it means to be married and have a family. Thirdly, the age difference can lead to the failure of the marriage. Things become even more complicated if the underage wife gets pregnant and gives birth to a child. The children of such a marriage may end up victims as well. Most underage wives who give birth end up developing depression and frustration, and lose hope in life. They might succumb to their husbands and do nothing if their husbands abuse them because they have lost interest in living. Fourthly, an underage mother does not understand the meaning of being a mother. She does not know how to take care of a child. The lack of such skills might reflect negatively on bringing up the child who might grow up to suffer from delayed development both mentally and physically. Medical reports show that underage marriages increase the possibility of having sick children. The Ministry of Justice has submitted a comprehensive study on the social and psychological effects of underage marriages to the General Presidency of Scholarly Research and Ifta. The study shows the negative impact of such marriages on girls below the age of 15. The ministry recommended that a fatwa to regulate underage marriages should be issued. For example, only a judge should be allowed to conduct such marriages and only after the father, the mother and the girl express their consent in writing. However, the girl's consent does not necessarily mean that she agrees to the marriage; she might have been forced by her parents to say yes. Girls who live in remote villages are sometimes forced to marry very old men. Who is going to protect girls against such marriages: Government agencies, the Human Rights Commission or society at large? It is high time that a fatwa was issued to determine the age of marriage.
