New report urges Commonwealth to end early and forced marriage of girls

Children make posters to raise awareness of the practice of child marriage, in Bangladesh.

Millions of girls throughout the Commonwealth are subjected to early and forced marriage, and member states should be doing more to live up to the Commonwealth's values and end the practice, according to a new paper released ahead of October's Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Perth.

One month out from CHOGM, global child rights agency Plan International and the Royal Commonwealth Society have released the briefing paper Empowering Girls: what the Commonwealth can do to end early and forced marriage.

The paper highlights that early and forced marriage is one of the greatest ongoing barriers to girls' education, maternal health and economic empowerment, and calls for the Commonwealth to do more to prevent young girls being forced to marry against their will and before they are ready.

Plan International Australia chief executive Ian Wishart said that early and forced marriage trapped girls in a cycle of poverty, ill health and illiteracy.

"Around the world, 10 million girls under the age of 18 marry each year - that's one every three seconds," said Mr Wishart.

"Girls who are married early are more likely to experience violence, abuse and forced sex, increased problems with their sexual and reproductive health, and are much more likely to miss out on their education and to be illiterate.

"Early and forced marriage is one of the most significant barriers to reaching Millennium Development Goal targets on infant and maternal health, universal primary education, poverty reduction and gender equality and empowerment.

"The Commonwealth's members all agree in principle to protecting the rights of girls and women. Yet, 12 of the 20 countries with the highest rates of early and forced marriage are Commonwealth countries. As a result, millions of girls throughout the Commonwealth find their life opportunities stolen, but it doesn't have to be this way. The rhetoric must become action, and soon."

The paper highlights that none of the Commonwealth's democratic or developmental goals can be achieved without first empowering its women and girls, who represent more than half of the association's 2 billion people.

"Global consensus around the need to end early and forced marriage is building," say the paperâ#€#Ÿ#s authors. "If the Commonwealth acts now it can demonstrate the global moral leadership that can define its unique identity on a crowded international stage."

As the host of this year's CHOGM gathering, the Australian Government is in a strong position to build on the great work it has already been doing to strengthen our domestic laws to protect girls and young women from forced marriage.

"Our Government has consistently demonstrated its commitment to gender equality, both at local and global levels, including the current review of Australian laws to do with forced marriage that aims to find ways to strengthen protections for vulnerable women and girls,” said Mr Wishart.

"We would hope that they would use this year's CHOGM gathering to encourage renewed commitment from the Commonwealth to tackling this important issue. In Bangladesh, Mozambique and Malawi, for instance, the average age at first marriage for girls still remains below 18."

In 2011, the Commonwealth theme is 'Women as Agents of Change', offering leaders meeting in Perth the perfect opportunity to deliver tangible change for the women and girls.

An Eminent Persons Group – tasked with exploring options for Commonwealth reform – are also expected to put strengthening the Commonwealthâ#€#Ÿ#s role in protecting and promoting human rights at the very heart of the recommendations for reform they make to leaders in Perth.

• Plan has been focusing on the needs and wellbeing of girls in the developing world through its ongoing State of the World’s Girls reports, published annually since 2007. The next edition of the report, titled So, what about boys?, will be launched in Canberra, on Wednesday, November 2

Notes to Editors

• The Commonwealth's theme for 2011 is: 'Women as agents of change'.

• Plan and the Royal Commonwealth Society will be involved in this yearâ#€#Ÿ#s CHOGM event in Perth, including hosting a special event as part of the People's Forum. Titled 'Silence is not an option. Strengthening the role of the Commonwealth in protecting human rights', the event will feature addresses from the Hon Michael Kirby, the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Baroness Ashton of the EU, and Plan International Australia chief executive Ian Wishart. It will be held on Wednesday, October 26, at 5.30pm at the Perth Hilton.

• Download 'Empowering Girls: what the Commonwealth can do to end early and forced marriage'

• In March 2011, Plan and the Royal Commonwealth Society released a report called: Because You’re a Girl: Growing up in the Commonwealth. The report highlights the many barriers still faced by girls and women across the Commonwealth to participating fully in social, political and economic life.
  More information
  Download the report

• Plan UK recently released an extensive report on early and forced marriage called Breaking Vows: Early and Forced Marriage and Girls’ Education.
  Download the report
  More information

For more information or to speak to Ian Wishart, contact:

David Cook
Media Officer
Plan International Australia
Mobile: 0448 816 900
david.cook@plan.org.au