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Letters | Why ending child marriage is key to brighter economic futures
- Readers discuss the intergenerational and economic impact of early marriage, the value of large infrastructure projects, and legal protection for Victoria Harbour
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Unicef defines child marriage as a formal or informal union between a child under the age of 18 and an adult or another child. Worldwide, around one in five girls married before age 18.
In Southeast Asia, despite minimum marriage ages, seven out of 10 countries recorded high rates of child marriage – higher than 10 per cent – between 2014 and 2018. In Laos, 33 per cent of females and 11 per cent of males married before age 18.
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Child marriage can have an intergenerational impact. Girls who marry young tend to attain lower levels of education, and so might their children. Mothers with lower levels of education spend less time on educational activities at home. Furthermore, low maternal literacy is associated with poor child nutrition.
Child marriage can also reduce females’ aspirations, thereby affecting their children’s educational achievements.
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Yet children’s cognitive development is a key factor in breaking the cycle of poverty. In fact, cognitive skills, as measured by standardised test scores, are more strongly associated with economic growth than levels of education.
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