Japan can end child marriage at home, and help end it abroad
By Kanae Doi,
Japan Times, Mar 30, 2018
Japan
looks set to join the global push to end child marriage. It is time for Japan
to do much more to help end child marriage not only at home, but around the
world.
looks set to join the global push to end child marriage. It is time for Japan
to do much more to help end child marriage not only at home, but around the
world.
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Aziza, a
Syrian refugee and former child bride, tends to her baby in the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon on Feb. 2. Thomson Reuters Foundation/Heba Kanso |
A
proposed revision of the Civil Code would set the minimum marriage age at 18
for both females and males. At present, people must be at least 20 to marry
without parental permission; with parental permission males can marry at 18 and
females as young as 16. The government-proposed amendment would take effect in
2022.
This step
is long overdue. Two decades ago, the Justice Ministry’s Legislative Council
proposed an updated Civil Code that set the marriage age at 18 for everyone,
but it was not adopted. Different marriage ages for females and males are
discriminatory and go against Japan’s international human rights obligations.
And child marriage — under age 18 — is a global epidemic with devastating
consequences for girls and their families.
is long overdue. Two decades ago, the Justice Ministry’s Legislative Council
proposed an updated Civil Code that set the marriage age at 18 for everyone,
but it was not adopted. Different marriage ages for females and males are
discriminatory and go against Japan’s international human rights obligations.
And child marriage — under age 18 — is a global epidemic with devastating
consequences for girls and their families.
The vast
majority of married children — over 80 percent — are girls. Around the world,
12 million girls marry each year. Many of the countries with the highest rates
of child marriage are in Africa, South Asia and Latin America, but child
marriage is also a problem in the United States, Europe and, yes, though the
number is small, in Japan. A Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry population
survey found that 1,357 of 630,000 females who submitted marriage registrations
in 2015 were 16 and 17.
majority of married children — over 80 percent — are girls. Around the world,
12 million girls marry each year. Many of the countries with the highest rates
of child marriage are in Africa, South Asia and Latin America, but child
marriage is also a problem in the United States, Europe and, yes, though the
number is small, in Japan. A Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry population
survey found that 1,357 of 630,000 females who submitted marriage registrations
in 2015 were 16 and 17.
Child
marriages are often coerced or forced. Children have little ability to resist
when their families decide they should marry. Families marry off their
daughters for a range of reasons, including poverty, discriminatory attitudes
toward girls, pressure created by dowry and bride-price systems, insecurity
stemming from conflict and disaster, lack of access to education for girls, and
stigma related to girls having romantic or sexual relationships outside of
marriage.
marriages are often coerced or forced. Children have little ability to resist
when their families decide they should marry. Families marry off their
daughters for a range of reasons, including poverty, discriminatory attitudes
toward girls, pressure created by dowry and bride-price systems, insecurity
stemming from conflict and disaster, lack of access to education for girls, and
stigma related to girls having romantic or sexual relationships outside of
marriage.
The harm
from child marriage is remarkably similar around the world. Married children
are at great risk of dropping out of school, making it more likely that they,
and their children, will live in poverty.
from child marriage is remarkably similar around the world. Married children
are at great risk of dropping out of school, making it more likely that they,
and their children, will live in poverty.
Married
girls face serious health risks, including from giving birth before their
bodies are fully developed, and having closely spaced births. These can include
fistula, uterine prolapse, low birth weight, complications in delivery and
death. Child marriage is also associated with other health problems, including
mental health problems such as depression.
girls face serious health risks, including from giving birth before their
bodies are fully developed, and having closely spaced births. These can include
fistula, uterine prolapse, low birth weight, complications in delivery and
death. Child marriage is also associated with other health problems, including
mental health problems such as depression.
Married
girls are also more likely to face domestic violence and less likely to escape
it. They are usually expected to have sex whenever their husbands want it, so
rape often becomes routine.
girls are also more likely to face domestic violence and less likely to escape
it. They are usually expected to have sex whenever their husbands want it, so
rape often becomes routine.
These are
some of the reasons that under the United Nations Sustainable Development
Goals, which went into effect in January 2016, countries around the world,
including Japan, agreed to a target of ending all child marriage by 2030.
Countries including the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Germany, Guatemala,
Honduras, Malawi, Nepal, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden — and a growing
number of U.S. states — have recently revised their laws to end or reduce child
marriage. Many other countries have developed or are developing national action
plans for ending child marriage by 2030.
some of the reasons that under the United Nations Sustainable Development
Goals, which went into effect in January 2016, countries around the world,
including Japan, agreed to a target of ending all child marriage by 2030.
Countries including the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Germany, Guatemala,
Honduras, Malawi, Nepal, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden — and a growing
number of U.S. states — have recently revised their laws to end or reduce child
marriage. Many other countries have developed or are developing national action
plans for ending child marriage by 2030.
Japan is
joining this important global fight by setting the minimum marriage age at 18.
However, as the world’s third-largest economy and human rights as a core value,
Japan should not stop there.
joining this important global fight by setting the minimum marriage age at 18.
However, as the world’s third-largest economy and human rights as a core value,
Japan should not stop there.
The
Japanese government is a major contributor of international development
assistance. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) works in 29 of
the 40 countries that UNICEF said in 2017 had the highest child marriage rates,
including Niger, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, South Sudan and India.
Japanese government is a major contributor of international development
assistance. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) works in 29 of
the 40 countries that UNICEF said in 2017 had the highest child marriage rates,
including Niger, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, South Sudan and India.
But JICA
has little programming focused on helping to end child marriage, and Japan’s
foreign minister rarely talks about child marriage. This should change. The Foreign
Ministry should make ending child marriage a priority in Japan’s foreign
policy. JICA should develop a strategy for helping to end child marriage
globally, and integrate support for ending child marriage into its country
programs around the world.
has little programming focused on helping to end child marriage, and Japan’s
foreign minister rarely talks about child marriage. This should change. The Foreign
Ministry should make ending child marriage a priority in Japan’s foreign
policy. JICA should develop a strategy for helping to end child marriage
globally, and integrate support for ending child marriage into its country
programs around the world.
Japan
makes itself a more credible partner in the global fight by ending child
marriage at home. Key donor countries such as the U.S. and Britain still need
to address child marriage at home before they can fully contribute to the
global effort. Japan can help fill the gap.
makes itself a more credible partner in the global fight by ending child
marriage at home. Key donor countries such as the U.S. and Britain still need
to address child marriage at home before they can fully contribute to the
global effort. Japan can help fill the gap.
The
government should be proud of its effort to end child marriage at home. It
should build on the new law by taking a more active role in the global effort
and by supporting reform in the many countries where many girls are losing
their future by marrying too young.
government should be proud of its effort to end child marriage at home. It
should build on the new law by taking a more active role in the global effort
and by supporting reform in the many countries where many girls are losing
their future by marrying too young.
