Pandemic prompts surge in child marriage and violence towards girls in Asia

The Covid-19 pandemic threatens to spark a dramatic surge in violence against young girls in the Asia-Pacific region and could lead to an additional 13 million child marriages worldwide over the next decade, children’s rights experts have warned.

An alarming new report by Save the Children and Plan International has warned that nearly 10 million children – mostly girls – may never return to school following pandemic lockdowns.

It also highlights the increased threat of online sex abuse and domestic violence due to prolonged confinement at home and rising economic and health pressures.

Over the last 12 months, more than 37% of all women in South Asia, 40% in South-East Asia and 68% in the Pacific experienced sexual or physical violence by an intimate partner, with many countries recording an escalating risk during lockdowns.

In India, a national hotline received 92,000 calls during the first 11 days of lockdown, while domestic violence cases have doubled in Thailand during the quarantine period and similar rises have been recorded in countries including Bangladesh, Singapore and Malaysia.

According to the United Nations, an extra 15 million gender-based violence cases are expected for every three months the lockdown continues globally.

The report warns that for many girls, the additional risks of child or forced marriage could become more of a threat than the virus itself.

Asia is home to more than half of the world’s 1.1 million girls and those currently not in school are at higher risk of exploitation. Families facing limited financial resources are more likely to place girls in situations of child, early and forced marriage as a “negative coping mechanism.”

Despite progress in combatting marriage under the age of 18, South Asia remains home to more than 40 percent of all child brides globally.

The report concludes that “Covid-19 will hamper” prevention efforts, citing UN predictions of an additional 13 million child marriages between 2020 and 2030.

“The consequences for girls are severe, as they are often forced out of education and into a life of poor prospects, with increased risk of exposure to violence, abuse, forced sexual relations and early pregnancy, which carries high risks of maternal mortality and morbidity,” it says.

“I know two girls who have just gotten married during this pandemic,” Huu, an 18-year-old Vietnamese girl, told researchers. “Due to the current pandemic, many girls are giving up their learning opportunities for marriage to alleviate the new economic hardship.”

Others are trying to fight back.

“When I learned that my parents wanted to marry me off, I knew I couldn’t let it happen. If I did, what kind of message would I be sending to other girls?” said Phulan, 18, from Nepal. “With community support, I told my parents I’d go to the police if they didn’t give up. I am now continuing my studies.”