Hard economic times during the Covid-19 pandemic could lead to increased child marriages in Kenya, Unicef has cautioned.
In its latest brief on child marriages and Covid-19, the organisation says disrupted efforts against child marriages could make room for a surge in cases.
With the anticipated economic fallout of the virus and with schools set to reopen in January next year, early marriages are likely to increase as schoolchildren could be at risk of being married off before turning 18.
Under the Marriage Act, 2014, the minimum legal age of marriage is 18. The UN agency says young girls could be violated and forced into early marriages for their families to counter the trying financial times.
"Poverty is known as a driver of child marriage and families are more likely to marry off daughters in times of economic stress to alleviate the perceived burden of caring for them,” the brief reads.
A 2016 Unicef study showed that some girls are seen as assets that can fetch families up to hundreds of goats, cattle, camels and donkeys when married off, rather than as individuals with rights.
For its part, the United Nations Population Fund says the situation is worsened by the closure of rescue homes and safe spaces, meaning that those to be married off by their families are now “imprisoned in the house".
And emphasising the sad state of affairs, Janet Moraa, a psychologist, says, “Some parents could end up doing all the wrong things to get money during this period as poverty levels are increasing. With this academic year declared void, child marriages could increase.”
Statistics before the pandemic indicated that 23 per cent of Kenyan girls are married before the age of 18 and four per cent are married before the age of 15.
With 527,000 child brides, Kenya has the 20th highest absolute number in the world. Data from 2014 show that women marry at a younger age in Migori and Tana River.
A national helpline supported by the Department of Gender Affairs is said to have reported 1,108 calls in June, including complaints about child marriages.
"We have got all kinds of cases — some are psychological torture, others are physical assault, rape and defilement. We also have cases of child marriage and female genital mutilation being reported, but these are few as much of it is hidden," helpline’s director Fanis Lisiagali said.
Edited by F'Orieny