Thousands of teenage girls are not only having babies every year but a large number of them are also getting married to men who are as old as their grandfathers, if not older.
This trend has been attributed to poverty as poor men sell off their daughters while culture and religion has a lot to do with it as Muslims do not consider education to be important and according to them, a thirteen year old girl is ready for marriage. This is ironic because the concept of a university is attributed top Islam.
This attitude amongst Kenyan Muslims is conformed by statistics where most married teenage girls are to be found in coast and north eastern province which are pre-dominantly Muslim. It is also in these areas that girl child education is almost non existent.
There are a number of non governmental organizations that have done a lot in ensuring the girl child remains in school like going to the extent of supplying sanitary towels to the female students who are known to stay at home when they have their monthly periods as they can’t afford the towels and don’t want to be in class when the blood flows.
A few months ago, health minister Charity Ngilu openly wept during a tour of coast province when she could not believe her eyes on seeing that majority of those seeking post natal services in health facilities were teenage mothers barely fifteen years old.
She spoke strongly over the matter and said the trend should be stopped at all costs as it was denying the teenagers much needed education that they required for their empowerment. Sadly these utterances are yet to be followed by any actions from the Ministry.
The government seemed to have played its part when it introduced free and compulsory primary education but ironically there are those who still feel it applies to boys only while it’s optional for girls.
What must be done is to overcome these outdated and archaic cultural beliefs that have also resulted in wanton abuse of the girl child not to mention the violence they are exposed to at a very young age as a result of abusive marriages.
This bloggers heart bleeds for the thousands of teenage girls who are forced into early marriages by their selfish parents and hope one day the girls will have a voice to say they want an education and would prefer to enjoy their childhood and not to be burdened by the complicated nature of marriages at their tender age.
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