Child Marriages in the Global South

Running Head: EARLY MARRIAGES IN THE GLOBAL SOUTH 0
Child Marriages in the Global South
Student’s Name
11/29/2018

EARLY MARRIAGES IN THE GLOBAL SOUTH 1
Global South refers to the regions of Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. It includes the
“Third word” and the “Periphery” that symbolize the regions outside the Europe and North
America. The use of this phrase “Global South” focuses on the development or cultural
differences in the direction of geopolitical relations of power (Dados and Connel, 2012).
Child marriages are one of a biggest topic across the world, this includes any formal or informal
union where male or female or anyone of them is under 18 years of age. It is a violation of child
rights, which impacted negatively on their physical growth, health, development, and education
opportunities (UNICEF, 2018).
According to the 2017 UNICEF report, Bangladesh has a very high rate of child marriage, and its
ranking forth in the world with the 59 percent (Reid, 2018). There are 29 percent girls who
married before the age of 15 in Bangladesh and 65 percent who married before the age of 18
(HRW, 2015). There are many factors that influences and promote child marriages in terms of
economic, historical, cultural, and political.
Child development and child rearing is different in every country and regions as per their country
cultures and different factors that include social, historical, cultural, political, and economic.
These factors play a vital role in child development and rearing along with relationship in
between parent-child. For understanding this study there is ecological system theory of Urie
Bronfenbrenner, who is an American psychologist, this theory involves the inherent qualities of a
child and his environment interact to influences his growth and development. This theory or
practice is based on the Tibetan childrearing and child monks in relation with the other global
south countries or region such as China, Japan, Nepal etc. culture and how social, economic,

EARLY MARRIAGES IN THE GLOBAL SOUTH 2
environmental factors influences child development (The Psychology Notes Headquarters,
2013).
In Bangladesh, the economic, social and cultural impact on child marriages includes the fertility,
population growth, health, violence, education attainment, decision-making and investment,
while historical includes the poverty, insecurity as well as political and the financial issues, all
these factors forces to promote the child marriages.
A child is involved simultaneously in many different ecosystems, which starts from his home
ecological system then moving outward to the schools system and later on the most extensive
system which includes the society and culture. In a child’s life, all these systems are important
and equally influence a child life by unavoidably interacting with each other (The Psychology
Notes Headquarters, 2013).
The microsystem is an immediate environment after a child’s birth and the smallest system of a
child. This includes the daily life of an infant, daycare, and the community environment and
people such as parents, teachers, and friends to develop their personal relationships. Microsystem
involves the child reactions or response to the people and how they treat them in return
(Greenberg, and Kahn, 2011). This first stage covers the child development at their early stage.
If two siblings are experiencing the same microsystem still there is possibilities for them to
experience different environment.
According to UNICEF, Nigeria is ranking first in the world with 76 percent (Reid, 2018), while
child marriage is extensive in West and Central Africa with 42 percent as well as Eastern and
Southern Africa with 36 percent (Girls not brides, 2018). These all rates have increased because
of their cultural, historical, political and social factors that force them to follow their religious. It