Child, Early and Forced Marriage and Motherhood in the Americas
Child, early and forced marriage is not well understood in the Americas region, although UNICEF estimates that 29% of girls in Latin America and the Caribbean, or almost 1 in 3 girls, are married before the age of 18. Some countries surpass that figure at the national level (the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Brazil, Honduras and Guatemala), while others face the issue only within certain ethnic groups. One of the main problems in the Americas is the number of informal or “de facto” unions which may not be classified as marriage, with the result that the extent of child, early and forced marriage in the region is probably underestimated. On the other hand, the issue of child, adolescent and forced motherhood has received growing attention in recent years due to an increase in the number of girls younger than 15 that are giving birth. UNFPA projects that these births will continue to rise through 2030, and the data on girls who give birth does not include those that undergo risky and often fatal unsafe abortions. A plethora of issues underlie the prevalence of child, early and forced marriage and motherhood in the Americas, including gender inequality, the concentration of women among the poorest segment of the population, continuing disparities between boys and girls in the minimum age for marriage, gender-based and sexual violence, including incest, restrictive abortion laws and a lack of access to contraception and sexual and reproductive health information and services The objectives of this international event, which is organized by the Inter-American Commission of Women of the Organization of American States, are to: 1. Review what we know about child, early and forced marriage and motherhood in the Americas and identify those information and data gaps that still need to be filled; and 2. Formulate preliminary legislative, policy and program recommendations, on the basis of existing good practices and lessons learned, in order to begin a joint, comprehensive and effective response. During the event, the CIM will also launch its new “Hemispheric Report on Sexual Violence and Child Pregnancy in the States Party to the Belém do Pará Convention.
Child, early and forced marriage is not well understood in the Americas region, although UNICEF estimates that 29% of girls in Latin America and the Caribbean, or almost 1 in 3 girls, are married before the age of 18. Some countries surpass that figure at the national level (the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Brazil, Honduras and Guatemala), while others face the issue only within certain ethnic groups. One of the main problems in the Americas is the number of informal or “de facto” unions which may not be classified as marriage, with the result that the extent of child, early and forced marriage in the region is probably underestimated. On the other hand, the issue of child, adolescent and forced motherhood has received growing attention in recent years due to an increase in the number of girls younger than 15 that are giving birth. UNFPA projects that these births will continue to rise through 2030, and the data on girls who give birth does not include those that undergo risky and often fatal unsafe abortions. A plethora of issues underlie the prevalence of child, early and forced marriage and motherhood in the Americas, including gender inequality, the concentration of women among the poorest segment of the population, continuing disparities between boys and girls in the minimum age for marriage, gender-based and sexual violence, including incest, restrictive abortion laws and a lack of access to contraception and sexual and reproductive health information and services The objectives of this international event, which is organized by the Inter-American Commission of Women of the Organization of American States, are to: 1. Review what we know about child, early and forced marriage and motherhood in the Americas and identify those information and data gaps that still need to be filled; and 2. Formulate preliminary legislative, policy and program recommendations, on the basis of existing good practices and lessons learned, in order to begin a joint, comprehensive and effective response. During the event, the CIM will also launch its new “Hemispheric Report on Sexual Violence and Child Pregnancy in the States Party to the Belém do Pará Convention.