Efforts to combat child marriage

Việt Nam•31/10/2023

Over the years, Phan Lam commune in Bac Binh district has been one of the "hot spots" for child marriage. Faced with this situation, the Party committee and local government of Phan Lam commune have made concerted efforts to implement many measures to combat child marriage and improve the quality of life for the people…

Phan Lam is a mountainous commune inhabited entirely by ethnic minorities in Bac Binh district. The commune has 645 households/2,648 people. While the socio -economic situation and security are stable, child marriage and consanguineous marriage have remained a pressing issue in recent years. However, thanks to the strong determination of the local Party committee and government to combat these problems, the situation has shown a downward trend, and people's awareness is steadily improving.

At 17, D gave birth and is putting the baby to sleep.

Accordingly, in 2021, Phan Lam commune had 8 cases of child marriage, which decreased to 4 in 2022, and from the beginning of 2023 to the present, the locality has recorded only 2 cases. Mr. Khe Luan Luu, in charge of population work at the Phan Lam Commune Health Station, said that from the beginning of 2023 to the present, Phan Lam has had 2 cases of child marriage, with both the male and female not yet of legal marriage age, while consanguineous marriages have not occurred.

Both couples met while working far from home, not within the commune. After discovering the pregnancy, they returned to their hometown... "Child marriages often occur in families where children drop out of school early due to difficult circumstances, go to work far from home, and then meet each other... We regularly coordinate with families to raise awareness about the harmful effects of child marriage and early childbirth. But that's only from the parents' side; it's very difficult to reach the children when they are not present in the area," Mr. Khe Luan Luu added.

Although still occurring, it can be noted that, through regular awareness campaigns following the principle of "slow and steady wins the race," Phan Lam has significantly reduced child marriage compared to neighboring communes. The locality clearly recognizes that child marriage and consanguineous marriage leave serious consequences, affecting the physical health of children. Especially for girls who have not yet reached adulthood and whose bodies are not fully developed, early sexual relations, pregnancy, and childbirth will affect their health, intelligence, and mental well-being, leaving severe aftereffects, premature births, low birth weight, and even death in some cases. Teenage motherhood, lacking sufficient awareness and knowledge of childcare, leads to malnutrition, stunted growth, increased susceptibility to disease, and negatively impacts the quality of the population. Consanguineous marriage also weakens health, increases disease rates, and degrades the quality of the gene pool…

Mr. Xich Hoang Tuan, a Justice and Civil Registry officer in Phan Lam commune, shared that since the beginning of the year, various departments and organizations, including the Justice Department, the Women's Union, and population officers from the commune's Health Station, have continuously coordinated to disseminate information about child marriage and consanguineous marriage, domestic violence, gender equality, and family planning within the community. The methods of dissemination, including through loudspeakers, direct home visits for counseling, and integration into village meetings, have gradually yielded positive results.

However, due to the difficult living conditions and limited education levels of the people in the commune, awareness of the law and the serious consequences of child marriage and consanguineous marriage remains limited. Furthermore, the influence of customs such as the need to marry to continue the family line, and parents wanting their children to marry early to have more laborers in the family, also contribute to this problem.

Mr. Mang Nhu, Chairman of the People's Committee of Phan Lam commune, said that to reduce child marriage, the local Party committee and government have directed departments, agencies, and organizations to focus on disseminating legal regulations on child marriage and consanguineous marriage. In particular, they have promoted the role of grassroots officials in raising awareness among families and individuals regarding the implementation of the Marriage and Family Law, the Gender Equality Law, and other state policies. When violations of the law, such as child marriage and consanguineous marriage, are detected, they are resolutely dealt with. "Every year, the locality summarizes and rewards organizations and individuals who have done well in preventing and combating child marriage and consanguineous marriage to evaluate their performance and provide a basis for better implementation in subsequent years," Mr. Nhu added.

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