Yesterday, in the Senate of Trinidad and Tobago, a bill was introduced to standardize the age of marriage to 18. Hard to believe, but still now, girls can marry (supposedly at their own volition and without the consent of their parents) at 12, 14 and 16 under the relevant civil/Christian, Muslim, Hindu and Orisa laws. Under these same laws, boys can marry without parental consent at 14 (civil/Christian), 16 (Muslim) and 18 (Hindu and Orisa).
These laws are not relics, not artefacts, metaphorically rusty from disuse. Between 2006 and 2016, 548 such child marriages took place in Trinidad; 51% under the Hindu law, 34% under civil/Christian law and 15% under Muslim law. This is a cross-religious phenomenon.
Child marriage disproportionately affects girls and is part of the undergirding of patriarchy which we have been collectively dismantling. It uniquely secures legal access by men to the bodies of girls at a time in their lives when they do not have the capacity to give informed consent as is acknowledged in sexual offence legislation all over the world.
In this country, between 1996 and the present, 97% of child marriages were of girls. These girls can be as young as 12 as was the case in 2008. And if that is not enough chilling news, the available data shared by the AG shows that the men who ‘married’ these girls were as old as 52. Marriage of girl children is a sheer perversion. It legitimizes conduct that would otherwise be child sexual abuse. How can it be otherwise?
With all that we know about power differentials of age and gender and the vulnerability of girls to rape and sexual predation, you would think that reforming this law would be non-contentious; quickly enacted with a minimum of argumentation. It is evidently the decent, moral, ethical, right and rights thing to do to protect girls from exploitation and assault and from interrupted social, emotional and psychological development.
But after a straight forward and compelling presentation by the AG, we listened to the mortifying assertion that girls are ready for marriage, meaning it would seem, ready for sex, as soon as they experience puberty. One of the real impediments to social justice everywhere is the deployment of tradition, culture or religious dogma as a shield to justify discrimination (especially sex and gender) and as a sword to silence others.
The majority of people in this country already know that child marriage is plain wrong. We cannot stay silent now. This opposition by a few to greater child protection and gender equality is an outrage. Let us make sure the right thing is done.
[…] of the group, there was a lot of push-back against this line of reasoning. The blog What’s the Idea? argued that child marriage was tantamount to child […]
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Theses facts on child marriage in Trinidad are abhorrent. A scourge on Trinidad society and politics. So much more education on this subject is vital. What have the established churches of Trinidad done about this?
Where are the decent politicians and what excuses are they giving?
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Thank you for doing this. We all have the responsibility to ensure our elected officials do what is right. Child marriage is abhorrent. Using religion to justify the rape of children is despicable. And playing politics with this issue is evil.
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Very compelling article by Roberta. There is no justification, whatsoever, for child marriage and Roberta rightly said, “child marriage is child abuse” and i will further add child marriage is servitude. STOP it NOW!
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I agree with Rosina et Al Roberta. Now more than ever what seems patently clear is being is recovered anew, shrouded in the twin veils of religion and culture generally to the disadvantage and disenfranchisement of women and the most vulnerable in society. Male hegemony will not disappear without ongoing vigilance and struggle.
Ingrid E- Sent from my iPad
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Dear Roberta, This is an excellent response. I agree with Rowena’s suggestion that you consider publication in the local and regional papers.
I am also open to strategize on further opportunities for advocacy.
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Roberta I am working with girls now (Upton Gardens Girls Centre) and I am taking every available opportunity to empower them to fight for the right to negotiate their space and control their lives. Society continues to find ways to rationalise and legitimise abuse of girls, and so I’m just hoping that in some small way my intervention can make a difference.
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Great response Roberta.. consider publishing in the local newspapers to fuel advocacy
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