7th grade mountain girls drop out of school to get married
(Baonghean) - Y Xua dropped out of school in 7th grade, then got married. Her husband worked in the fields, and her wife stayed home with the children, and there were many things she didn't know how to do. With a small child and being sick all the time, Y Xua only wished she hadn't gotten married so early.
Child marriage is a reality happening in the highland villages of Tuong Duong district, Nghe An, especially in the Mong ethnic minority areas.
Pha Lom is a village with 100% Mong people, people live mainly by farming, life is still difficult and deprived.
In the afternoon, when people return home after a day of work in the fields, it is not difficult to see countless young mothers carrying their children on their backs, looking like older sisters carrying their younger siblings. Even many Mong girls, though only 13-14 years old and of school age, have to take on the role of wife and mother.
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| Young mothers in Pha Lom village, Tam Hop commune (Tuong Duong). Photo: Hien Chuong |
The couple Xong Y Xua - Lau Ba Ky in Pha Lom village is one of 33 cases of child marriage in Tam Hop commune in the past 3 years. At the time of marriage in 2015, Y Xua was only 14 years old, Lau Ba Ky - Y Xua's husband was also not old enough to get married, although he is 1 year older than his wife. No one in Pha Lom village can answer how this young couple's life is, when Ba Ky and Y Xua themselves are also clumsy and do not know how to take care of themselves and their family.
Talking to Y Xua, she said she dropped out of school in 7th grade, then got married. Her husband went to the fields with his parents every day, and she only knew how to stay home and take care of the baby, there were many things she didn't know how to do. The baby was young and sick all the time, she could only rely on her grandparents on both sides. Having suffered and suffered in every way, now Y Xua only wishes she hadn't gotten married so early.
The list of couples in Tam Hop commune, Tuong Duong district is still growing. The couples are underage, born in 2003, 2002, 2000 or even 2006, meaning they are only 11, 12, or 16 years old and are already husband and wife.
Looking at Ho Y Mi, no one would think she was married, because she was not yet 12 years old. Lau Ba Chong - Y Mi's husband was just 16 years old. There are many other cases like Y Xua, Y Cho, Y Do..., who got married when they were still in school age. Currently, the whole Tam Hop commune has 33 couples who are under the marriageable age according to the Law on Marriage and Family, of which 6 couples got married when they were under 13 years old.
Mr. Nguyen Anh Minh - Chairman of Tam Hop Commune People's Committee frankly admitted that the main reason leading to the above situation is that the commune government has not yet taken legal measures, only stopping at propaganda and mobilization for these cases. Some cadres and party members have not really been exemplary in complying with the Law on Marriage and Family, some children of cadres and party members are still getting married early. Besides, propaganda and mobilization work has not been really effective. Most cadres and party members are local people, so sometimes they are still emotional and afraid of conflicts. In addition, the directives of superiors on the issue of preventing and combating child marriage have not been really drastic. |
Not only Tam Hop commune is a hot spot for child marriage, but also in Luong Minh, Xa Luong, Nga My, Luu Kien, Mai Son communes… the situation of child marriage continues to increase. According to incomplete statistics from the functional sectors, in the past 3 years alone, the whole district of Tuong Duong has had up to 97 cases of child marriage.
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| Child marriage puts girls under the burden of illness, poverty and domestic violence. Photo: Hien Chuong |
In 2016 and the first 5 months of 2017 alone, there were 84 child marriages. Poverty - illness - illiteracy - child marriage is a vicious cycle, both cause and effect. Child marriage is persistent, with heartbreaking consequences, children born are severely malnourished, because even their parents cannot take care of themselves.
Early marriage, pregnancy and childbirth in adolescence when the mother's body is not fully developed, lacks knowledge and is not psychologically ready are some of the reasons that double the rate of malnutrition in children under 5 years old, manifested in underweight and stunting; increase the mortality rate in children under 1 year old and under 5 years old, increase the mortality rate of poor mothers in mountainous ethnic minority areas related to pregnancy...
Mr. Lo Thanh Nhat - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Tuong Duong district said: "In the coming time, we will use some strong solutions such as administrative handling, if necessary, we will prosecute some violations of the Law on Marriage and Family to increase deterrence and education for our people".
Charter
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