Two Day Consultative Workshop on Prevention of Early and Child Marriage in Afghanistan

Kabul, 30-31 December 2014 - Deputy Ministry of Youth Affairs and Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disables with the Technical Support of UNFPA and logistical support of Hewad organization hosts a Two Day Consultative Workshop on Prevention of Early and Child Marriage in Afghanistan. The workshop takes place at the Pamir Hall of the Intercontinental Hotel. The workshop brings together stakeholders from the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, such as; Ministry of Haj and Religious Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Women's Affairs and Ministry of Education.

The two day workshop aims to consult experts from different government entities to develop a National Action Plan to Address Early and Child Marriage practices in Afghanistan. The workshop also aims to prepare a tool in order to conduct a rapid assessment to find out up-to-date data on child and early marriage practices in Afghanistan and provide preliminary preparations for the National Conference on Early and Child Marriage in the country.

"The adverse effects of child marriage on girls are inevitable. Early and child marriage robs a girl of her childhood and denies her education and a healthy life", said Mohammad Younus Payab, Assistant Representative and Officer in Charge of UNFPA.

According to the State of the World Population Report 2012, child marriage is a global issue, while South Asia has the highest rates in this practice, where 46 percent of women aged 20-24 years were married or entered a union by age 18. As a result of early and child marriage or early union across developing countries, every day 20,000 girls below the age of 18 give birth.

According to the Central Statistics Organization of Afghanistan, 17.3 percent of girls aged 15-19 and 66.2 percent of girls aged 20-24 are married. The Afghanistan Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2010-2011 found that 15.2 percent of surveyed women were married before the age of 15 and 46.4 percent before 18.

Early and child marriage pulls girls out of school. This practice contributes to poverty being handed down from mother to daughter and from family to family, for generations to come. Early and child marriage is also a health issue. In Afghanistan, among 100,000 live births 327 mothers die of pregnancy related complications, while, among mothers between the ages of 15-19 the ratio is 531 deaths. This data puts early and child marriage at the center of the fight against maternal mortality.