Girls not brides: ending child marriage in Nigeria

Abstract

Birth, marriage and death are the standard trio of key events in most people's lives. But only one marriage is a matter of choice. The right to exercise that choice was recognized as a principle of law even in Roman times and has long been established in international human rights instruments. Yet in Nigeria, many girls, enter marriage without any chance of exercising their right to choose. Some are forced into marriage at a very early age. Others are simply too young to make an informed decision about their marriage partner or about the implications of marriage itself. They may have given what passes for 'consent' in the eyes of custom or the law, but in reality, consent to their binding union has been made by others on their behalf. The assumption is that once a girl is married, she has become a woman even if she is only 12. While the age of marriage is generally on the rise, early marriage of girl below the age of 18 is still widely practiced in Nigeria. While early marriage...