What solutions to push back the situation of child marriage in Ky Son?

The rate of child marriage tends to increase.

Lau Y Hua in Na Cang village, Na Ngoi commune, is 19 years old this year - the most brilliant age of a girl, but Hua has been married for 4 years and now has 2 children. Talking to us, Y Hua said, "I got married at the age of 15 when I was in junior high school, my husband was only 16 at that time, we met at school. My parents did not agree but we just lived together..." Is it hard to get married so early? Hearing our question, Y Hua shyly replied, "It is very hard. My husband's family has 8 siblings, my husband is the youngest, living with my parents. Currently, my husband is doing military service, and I stay at home taking care of the children and working on the farm, not enough to eat..."

The management board and people of Na Cang village, Na Ngoi commune discuss the issue of child marriage. Photo: KL

Cases of underage marriage like Lau Y Hua's couple are not rare. In 2021, in Na Cang village, there were 10 underage marriages. "The cadres and village management board have also propagated a lot, but it is very difficult. Boys and girls fall in love at school and then live together. Parents cannot forbid it, and if not careful, it can lead to suicide by eating poison leaves and many other consequences...", the Secretary of the Na Cang village Party Cell expressed.

Mr. Mua Ba Ho - a judicial officer of Na Ngoi commune said: In 2021 alone, there were 33 early marriage couples concentrated in the villages of Na Cang, Pu Kha 1, Pu Kha 2, and Buoc Mu... They did not come to register their marriage but lived together on their own, so it was very difficult to handle, mainly through village and commune officials.

Authorities disseminate laws to people in Na Ngoi commune. Photo: KL

In the border commune of Nam Can, from 2019 to 2021, there were 228 couples getting married, of which 67 were underage, accounting for 23.2% (100% were Mong people). The number of couples where both the husband and wife were under the legal age to get married was 12, accounting for 17.9%, the number of couples where only the husband or wife was under the legal age to get married was 54, accounting for 80.6%. From the beginning of 2022 to now, there have been 12 cases of underage marriage in the area, mainly born between the ages of 2005 and 2008, concentrated in Truong Son, Huoi Poc, Tien Tieu villages and all were Mong people.

Propaganda to prevent and combat child marriage and incestuous marriage at Nam Can Secondary School for Ethnic Minorities (Ky Son). Photo: CSCC

According to Mr. Xong Ba Lau - Vice Chairman of Nam Can Commune People's Committee: The reason is due to the influence of illegal customs and practices that have been maintained for many generations. Many families with economic difficulties, lack of legal knowledge, do not realize the importance of education, improve people's knowledge, do not encourage their children to go to school but want their children to stay home to work to help the family.

Many Mong ethnic students drop out of school early, especially after finishing high school, to get married. The consequences of early marriage not only harm the health and maturity of children but also put pressure on families and society. The fact that they become fathers and mothers at a very young age, with no life experience, childcare skills, or economic foundation, leads to a difficult life and frequent conflicts. In 2021, the authorities coordinated with the school to successfully persuade two students to give up their intention to get married early and continue studying, but in early 2022, a female student named Lau Y Nh. (born in 2007) in Truong Son village got married early to another male classmate in the same 9th grade class.

Photo illustration.

It is an area with a large population of ethnic minorities (accounting for over 95%), including 5 ethnic groups: Kho Mu, Thai, Mong, Hoa and Kinh. In recent years, with the attention of the entire political system, the Party Committee, the government and functional agencies have actively participated in mobilizing people in the district to comply with the Party's guidelines, policies and the State's laws, especially the Law on Marriage and Family, focusing on the situation of early marriage and consanguineous marriage. From there, creating changes and raising people's awareness. However, in the period from 2019-2021, the situation of early marriage in some remote areas has increased, and there has been no effective solution.

Specifically, in 2019, the number of people getting married early in Ky Son district was 145 cases, by 2020 it was 189 cases and in 2021 it was 182 cases. In particular, early marriage mainly occurred in communes with Mong and Kho Mu ethnic groups, typically Na Ngoi commune (from 2019-2021 there were 92 cases of early marriage), Nam Can commune (67 cases of early marriage), Tay Son commune (49 cases), Huoi Tu commune (48 cases), Muong Long commune (46 cases), Nam Can commune (31 cases),... The rate of people getting married early in the number of people registering for marriage tends to increase (in 2019 it was 8.5%, in 2020 it was 16.2% and in 2021 it was 15.6%). In particular, the communes with a high rate of early marriage compared to registered marriage (calculated in 3 years from 2019-2021) are: Na Ngoi 109.5%, Tay Son 54.4%, Nam Can 23.8%, Muong Long 21.5%, Huoi Tu 17.9%.

According to the leader of the Justice Department of Ky Son district: In addition to the causes due to the influence of backward customs and practices; underdeveloped economy; limited level of education, awareness and legal consciousness of the majority of people. It must also be recognized that the work of propaganda, dissemination and legal education for junior high and high school students in many schools has not been given due attention; the development of content and topics on marriage and family, sex education, adolescent reproductive health... in extracurricular and curricular programs for students in schools in the area is still limited.

Need for coordinated participation

To push back child marriage and eliminate backward customs, practices and practices to build a prosperous and happy family. On July 26, 2021, the Standing Committee of the Ky Son District Party Committee issued Directive No. 07 CT/HU to strengthen the leadership of Party committees at all levels on the prevention and control of child marriage and incestuous marriage.

In particular, the authorities from district to commune and town levels are required to thoroughly implement the contents of the Directive. At the same time, they are required to survey, research, evaluate and issue documents to abolish a number of backward and unsuitable customs among ethnic minorities in the area.

Thoroughly educate cadres, civil servants, public employees and workers to properly implement regulations on exemplary responsibility. Strengthen inspection and supervision of the implementation of the Party's guidelines and policies and the State's laws for cadres, civil servants, public employees and workers; promptly detect, handle and recommend competent authorities to handle cadres and party members who are irresponsible in propaganda and education work to let their children get married early or cover up and organize weddings for couples who get married early in the management area according to the provisions of law.

Propaganda to prevent and combat child marriage in Pha Khao village, Pha Danh commune. Photo: Duy Khanh

In addition, on June 25, 2021, the People's Committee of Ky Son district issued Plan No. 111/KH-UBND to implement the Project "Reducing child marriage and consanguineous marriage in ethnic minority areas in the period of 2021-2025" in the area. The goal is to reduce the number of child marriage couples in high-risk ethnic minority areas by an average of 2-3% per year. Build 10 models of clubs to prevent and combat child marriage and consanguineous marriage in areas with high child marriage rates, including: Huoi Giang 1, 2, Dong Duoi (Tay Son commune); Khe Nap and Xa Long villages (Bao Nam commune), Na Cang and Keo Bac villages (Na Ngoi commune), Truong Son, Tien Tieu villages and the Ethnic Minority School located in Noong De village (Nam Can commune).

Some areas with high rates of child marriage, such as Nam Can commune, have proactively issued plans and established a Steering Committee to implement the Project "Reducing child marriage and incestuous marriage". "In 2021, the commune established 3 clubs to prevent and combat child marriage and incestuous marriage in Tien Tieu and Truong Son villages with 31 members. Through the organization of club activities along with the propaganda of commune-level departments and branches, by the end of 2021, the rate of child marriage in the commune has decreased significantly compared to 2020...", said Mr. Xong Ba Lau - Vice Chairman of Nam Can Commune People's Committee.

Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan - Head of the Justice Department of Ky Son district said: Determining the prevention of early marriage and incestuous marriage is a key task in the work of propagating and disseminating the law. Every year, the Justice Department - the Standing Agency of the District Coordination Council for Legal Education and Dissemination has coordinated with departments, offices, district-level units and People's Committees of communes, towns, border posts located in border communes, village elders, village chiefs, prestigious people among ethnic minorities to organize propaganda, dissemination, and education on the law on marriage and family, especially the situation of early marriage and incestuous marriage in many forms suitable to each locality and subject. At the same time, focus on building and strictly implementing village and hamlet conventions, promoting the autonomy of clans; mobilizing people not to marry early. Include in the village convention (getting people's consensus) not to organize weddings, let children get married when they are not old enough. Any family that violates will be punished according to the law and regulations of the village.

Women of Pha Danh commune participate in a communication session on preventing child marriage. Photo: Duy Khanh.

However, reality shows that to eliminate child marriage, it requires the participation of the entire political system, the drastic direction of Party committees and authorities from district to grassroots levels with fundamental and synchronous solutions. In addition, strictly punish violations according to the Law on Handling of Administrative Violations, Decree 82/2020/ND-CP... to increase education and deterrence.

Articles 8 and 9 of the Law on Marriage and Family stipulate that men and women getting married must comply with the following conditions:
a) Men from 20 years of age or older, women from 18 years of age or older;
b) Marriage is voluntarily decided by men and women;
c) Not having lost civil capacity;
d) The marriage does not fall under one of the cases of prohibited marriage as prescribed in Points a, b, c and d, Clause 2, Article 5 of this Law.
Marriage must be registered and performed by a competent state agency in accordance with the provisions of this Law and the law on civil status. A marriage that is not registered in accordance with the provisions of this clause shall have no legal validity.