Child marriages rob girls
Children are being robbed of their childhoods due to life-changing events like child marriage, early pregnancy, child labour, violent deaths and exclusion from education.
Namibia is ranked 119th out of 176 countries in a new global report that evaluates countries on the well-being of children.
The report says that in Namibia 5.4% of girls aged between 15 and 19 are currently married or in a union.
“Getting married as a child forces millions of girls into adulthood and motherhood before they are physically and mentally ready. These girls, including many under the age of 15, are often isolated, with their freedom curtailed. They frequently feel disempowered and are deprived of their rights to health, education, safety and participation,” the report said.
Save the Children's third annual End of Childhood Index compares the latest data for 176 countries and assesses where the most and fewest children are missing out on a childhood.
Namibia, with an overall index score of 760 out of 1 000, falls into the category of “some children” still missing out on a childhood.
According to the report, Namibia has over the past 19 years improved its score of 676 by 84 points.
Save the Children evaluated countries on eight indicators to determine the well-being of children and teenagers (0-19 years). In the year 2000, an estimated 970 million children were robbed of their childhoods due to life-changing events like child marriage, early pregnancy, child labour, violent deaths, exclusion from education, sickness and malnutrition.
That number today has been reduced to 690 million, meaning that at least 280 million children are better off today than they were two decades ago.
In sub-Saharan Africa, there is evidence of a decrease in child marriage in many countries. However, progress has been uneven and some countries have seen little or no reduction
The report adds that there are also signs of rising political will to end child marriage in Africa and while there is plenty of global progress to celebrate, no region and few countries are on track to meet the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of eliminating child marriage by 2030.
“At current rates of decline, it will take at least half a century to eliminate child marriage worldwide. Meanwhile, every year, 12 million more girls around the world become wives. Without further acceleration, more than 150 million additional girls will marry by 2030.”
According to the report, progress in many African countries has also been too slow in keeping up with population growth, and as a result, even though marriage rates have dropped, the absolute number of child brides have risen.
Furthermore, the report found that in 2000 there were 16 million girls aged 15 to 19 who gave birth. Today, that number has been reduced to about 13 million.
According to data from the report, 75 per 100 000 girls aged 15 to 19 in Namibia gave birth.
Meanwhile, in 2016 alone, 85 000 boys and girls under the age of 20 were murdered globally. About 40% of these victims were under the age 15. Compared to the 97 000 child homicides in 2000, this is 12 000 fewer and translates into a 17% decrease in the child homicide rate globally.
In Namibia the child homicide rate stood at 8.7 deaths per 100 000 for children aged 0 to 19.
No statistics were available on child labour in Namibia.
Singapore tops the rankings as the country that best protects and provides for its children the best, followed by Sweden and Finland.
The Central African Republic (CAR) ranks last, with Niger and Chad rounding off the bottom three countries where childhoods are most threatened.
ELLANIE SMIT
The report says that in Namibia 5.4% of girls aged between 15 and 19 are currently married or in a union.
“Getting married as a child forces millions of girls into adulthood and motherhood before they are physically and mentally ready. These girls, including many under the age of 15, are often isolated, with their freedom curtailed. They frequently feel disempowered and are deprived of their rights to health, education, safety and participation,” the report said.
Save the Children's third annual End of Childhood Index compares the latest data for 176 countries and assesses where the most and fewest children are missing out on a childhood.
Namibia, with an overall index score of 760 out of 1 000, falls into the category of “some children” still missing out on a childhood.
According to the report, Namibia has over the past 19 years improved its score of 676 by 84 points.
Save the Children evaluated countries on eight indicators to determine the well-being of children and teenagers (0-19 years). In the year 2000, an estimated 970 million children were robbed of their childhoods due to life-changing events like child marriage, early pregnancy, child labour, violent deaths, exclusion from education, sickness and malnutrition.
That number today has been reduced to 690 million, meaning that at least 280 million children are better off today than they were two decades ago.
In sub-Saharan Africa, there is evidence of a decrease in child marriage in many countries. However, progress has been uneven and some countries have seen little or no reduction
The report adds that there are also signs of rising political will to end child marriage in Africa and while there is plenty of global progress to celebrate, no region and few countries are on track to meet the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of eliminating child marriage by 2030.
“At current rates of decline, it will take at least half a century to eliminate child marriage worldwide. Meanwhile, every year, 12 million more girls around the world become wives. Without further acceleration, more than 150 million additional girls will marry by 2030.”
According to the report, progress in many African countries has also been too slow in keeping up with population growth, and as a result, even though marriage rates have dropped, the absolute number of child brides have risen.
Furthermore, the report found that in 2000 there were 16 million girls aged 15 to 19 who gave birth. Today, that number has been reduced to about 13 million.
According to data from the report, 75 per 100 000 girls aged 15 to 19 in Namibia gave birth.
Meanwhile, in 2016 alone, 85 000 boys and girls under the age of 20 were murdered globally. About 40% of these victims were under the age 15. Compared to the 97 000 child homicides in 2000, this is 12 000 fewer and translates into a 17% decrease in the child homicide rate globally.
In Namibia the child homicide rate stood at 8.7 deaths per 100 000 for children aged 0 to 19.
No statistics were available on child labour in Namibia.
Singapore tops the rankings as the country that best protects and provides for its children the best, followed by Sweden and Finland.
The Central African Republic (CAR) ranks last, with Niger and Chad rounding off the bottom three countries where childhoods are most threatened.
ELLANIE SMIT
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