Early marriages have serious consequences for the health and emotional well-being of children generally, and the girl child in particular. The consequences may be physical, intellectual, psychological and emotional in nature. They may include illiteracy, disruption of education, loss of freedom and autonomy, poverty and reproductive health problems. Apart from undermining the self-confidence and self-identity of girls, child marriages also make girls prone to physical and emotional abuse. In fact, as UNICEF suggests child brides are “likely to lead to a life of domestic and sexual subservience over which they have no control.”
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