About $ 3.4 billion (three billion euros) annually until 2030 could end child marriage and mutilation. Thus ends the suffering of 84 million young people, according to the UN
The conclusion of these cases of child marriage and genital mutilation is included in the annual report of the UN Population Fund released this Tuesday.
According to the agency, one in five marriages taking place today is with a young woman under the age of 18. As a result, it is estimated that 4.1 million are at risk this year of being subjected to female circumcision, a practice condemned by the United Nations.
At least 19 practices harm millions of these children and young people and are considered human rights violations.
The report focuses on the three most prevalent: gender discrimination, child marriage and female genital mutilation. “Couples strive to avoid giving birth to a girl or fail to take care of the health and well-being of a daughter they already have at home in favor of their child.”
UNFPA has designated child preference as “a symptom of entrenched gender inequality” that has distorted population proportions in countries. This makes it almost impossible for a large number of men to find partners and have children.
The agency stressed that it can also exacerbate gender-based violence, including rape, coerced sex, sexual exploitation, trafficking and child marriage.
Family practices
As for child marriage, the report said that the practice “is commonly imposed on children and young people by family members, members of the community or society in general, regardless of whether the victim gives or is able to give full, free and informed consent” .
Child marriages are almost universally prohibited, said UNFPA, but “there are still 33,000 times a day, every day, all over the world – across countries, cultures, religions and ethnicities.”
The report states that 650 million young people and women married when they were still children and that another 200 million suffered female genital mutilation.
UNFPA executive director Natalia Kanem said the laws alone are not enough to end these practices.
The report calls for the restructuring of economies and legal systems to guarantee equal opportunities for women.
As an example, advocating changing ownership inheritance rules can eliminate a powerful incentive for families to favor sons over daughters and help eliminate child marriage.
