Child Marriage in Cambodia

[CEOCambodiaNews]

August 28, 2020
Addressing child marriage in Cambodia
Taing Rinith / Khmer Times

Child marriage is one of the challenges Cambodia is facing, with studies showing that nearly one in five women aged 20 to 24 married before the age of 18. Khmer Times talks to Yi Kimthan, deputy country director and programme manager of Plan International Cambodia, on the issue in an exclusive interview.

KT: How do you describe the status quo of child marriage in Cambodia? Where is the issue heading?

Kimthan: The situation of child marriage in Cambodia is still quite serious. According to the Cambodia Demographic and Health Survey (CDHS) conducted in 2014, 19 percent of girls aged 20 to 24 in the Kingdom get married before they reach the age of 18. Although this figure shows a decrease compared with 28 percent in a 1984 survey, it is still high. However, if we look at the northeastern provinces, the number of underage girls who get married is much higher. For example, a 2018 study conducted in Ratanakiri province reveals that one in nine girls aged 12-17 years are still marrying in adolescence while those aged 15-17 stand out at 19 percent. Such a figure is extremely high for a single province and according to our observation, it is in stagnation or even increasing.

KT: What are the reasons for child marriages in Cambodia, according to findings by Plan International Cambodia? Can you provide details?

Kimthan: There are numerous reasons. First of all, it is local tradition or custom which cause people to have a gender bias that girls should not remain single until they pass the age of 20, as men will not marry “old ladies”. Next, marriage could be used as a way to acquire labour in families. In simple words, the girl’s parents want their daughter to marry the men into the families so that they could help on their farm. Such a practice is very common in the northeastern provinces such as Kratie, Ratanakiri, Mondulkiri and Stung Treng. Another reason that we can see is adolescents having marital sex or becoming pregnant, which presses their parents to arrange for their marriage although they are too young for it. As we know, Cambodian children’s knowledge and awareness about protected sex and contraception is very limited. Last but not least is the economic reason, meaning that the girls get married so that they could have someone to rely on financially.

KT: The legal age for marriage in Cambodia is 18 for women and 20 for men, but parents can still arrange marriage for their underage children. What can you say about that?

Kimthan: We have to admit that dealing with this is a very tough task. During our meetings with the commune authorities, they told us that it is very hard to stop them when they come to ask for the permission to arrange marriages because their parents already give their consent. It is also possible that there are some sorts of “settlements” between the parents and the authorities. However, in the country’s northeastern region, it is almost impossible to control marriages since the people arrange ceremony according to their tradition, the underage bride or groom are still seen as married. As the result, many of them do not have marriage certificates.
More here: https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50757790/a ... -cambodia/

[explorer]

Almost all of the girls who get married under 18 are 16 or 17. It is rare for girls to get married at 15. I have not met a girl who got married under 15, but no doubt there are a few.

The article says 12-17 to make it sound much worse than it is. They should be honest about how many 12, 13 and 14 year olds get married (It is very close to zero). But then it would not be sensational enough to get much interest.

In Australia, girls can legally get married at 16. A few get pregnant at a younger age.

I believe the emphasis should be on encouraging and helping students to stay in school longer. Those who stay in school, normally don't get married until after they leave school.

If students do leave school while they are young, is there any harm in getting married at 16 or 17?

[IraHayes]

The survey mentioned in the article is linked below.
Cambodia Demographic and Health Survey (CDHS) conducted in 2014

Page 15: Domestic Violence. A real eye-opener

[Anthony's Weiner]

Almost all of the girls who get married under 18 are 16 or 17. It is rare for girls to get married at 15. I have not met a girl who got married under 15, but no doubt there are a few.

The article says 12-17 to make it sound much worse than it is. They should be honest about how many 12, 13 and 14 year olds get married (It is very close to zero). But then it would not be sensational enough to get much interest.

In Australia, girls can legally get married at 16. A few get pregnant at a younger age.

I believe the emphasis should be on encouraging and helping students to stay in school longer. Those who stay in school, normally don't get married until after they leave school.

If students do leave school while they are young, is there any harm in getting married at 16 or 17?

The marriage age for marriage in Australia is 18 years, but in "unusual and exceptional circumstances" a person aged 16 or 17 can marry with parental consent and authorisation by a court. A Notice of Intended Marriage is required to be lodged with the chosen marriage celebrant at least one month before the wedding.

According to Gallup Poll 2017 100,000 Cambodian girls under 16 were married ( not anywhere near close to zero as the sage of all things regarding school girls states) , 700,000 Cambodian Girls under 18 were married. A child is defined as child a young human being below the age of puberty or below the legal age of majority. Obviously explorer prefers the prepuberty definition over the legal definition. Walks like a duck and quacks like a duck to me

[jah steu]

Looks like you can married at a pretty young age in some parts of the States...
“As of June 2020, 40 states have set an absolute minimum marriage age by statute, which vary between 14 and 18.
Although in 10 states there is no set minimum age by statute, the traditional common law minimum age is 14 for boys and 12 for girls - ages which have been confirmed by case law in some states.”


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Soriya]

Almost all of the girls who get married under 18 are 16 or 17. It is rare for girls to get married at 15. I have not met a girl who got married under 15, but no doubt there are a few.

The article says 12-17 to make it sound much worse than it is. They should be honest about how many 12, 13 and 14 year olds get married (It is very close to zero). But then it would not be sensational enough to get much interest.

In Australia, girls can legally get married at 16. A few get pregnant at a younger age.

I believe the emphasis should be on encouraging and helping students to stay in school longer. Those who stay in school, normally don't get married until after they leave school.

If students do leave school while they are young, is there any harm in getting married at 16 or 17?

The marriage age for marriage in Australia is 18 years

I am assuming you mean legal age as your 1st sentence makes no sense.

But at 18 are you not an adult???

[rozzieoz]

Almost all of the girls who get married under 18 are 16 or 17.

According to your Facebook research?

[Anthony's Weiner]

Almost all of the girls who get married under 18 are 16 or 17. It is rare for girls to get married at 15. I have not met a girl who got married under 15, but no doubt there are a few.

The article says 12-17 to make it sound much worse than it is. They should be honest about how many 12, 13 and 14 year olds get married (It is very close to zero). But then it would not be sensational enough to get much interest.

In Australia, girls can legally get married at 16. A few get pregnant at a younger age.

I believe the emphasis should be on encouraging and helping students to stay in school longer. Those who stay in school, normally don't get married until after they leave school.

If students do leave school while they are young, is there any harm in getting married at 16 or 17?

The marriage age for marriage in Australia is 18 years

I am assuming you mean legal age as your 1st sentence makes no sense.

But at 18 are you not an adult???

You are correct I meant the legal age for marriage. And yes at 18 one is an adult. We are discussing child marriage, those who are married below the age of 18.

[CEOCambodiaNews]

Virus despair forces girls across Asia into child marriage
AseanPlus News
Tuesday, 01 Sep 2020
12:41 PM MYT

NEW DELHI (AFP): Tens of thousands of girls across Asia are being forced into marriage by desperate families plunged into poverty because of the coronavirus pandemic, as campaigners warn years of progress tackling the practice is being undone.

Child marriage has long been common in traditional communities from the Indonesian archipelago to India, Pakistan and Vietnam, but numbers had been decreasing as charities made inroads by encouraging access to education and women's health services.

These improvements are being eroded as the impact of the virus causes mass job losses leaving parents struggling to feed their families, experts say.

"All of the gains we've made in the past decade are really going to suffer," explains Shipra Jha, head of Asia engagement, at NGO Girls Not Brides.

"Child marriage is firmly rooted in gender inequality and patriarchal structures. What's happened is that it's become compounded in the Covid era," she adds.

Poverty, lack of education, and insecurity, drive child marriage even in stable times, so periods of crises exacerbate the problem, the charity says.

Worldwide, an estimated 12 million girls are wed every year before the age of 18, according to the UN.
https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/as ... d-marriage

[Ot Mean Loi]

This topic and related matters such as age at first sexual intercourse etc. are well covered in:

Cambodia Demographics and Health Survey 2010
Chapter 8, section 8.2 at p 88. qv.

For those interested in such matters as Cambodian Demography and Social Anthropology.

OML