Economic:
Cost and benefit. How the economic situation affects and contributes to the problem that is child marriage in India.
Child marriage is a violation of human rights rooted in gender inequality.
Parents assess the costs and benefits of marriage. They may decide to marry their daughters off at a young age if they are seen as an economic burden that can be relieved through marriage.
The poorest countries have the highest child marriage rates, and child marriage is most common among the poor who have fewer resources and opportunities to invest in alternative options for girls (Parsons, et al 2015).
Economic status, education levels, and community context, influence the likelihood of a girl being married early.
In situations where bride wealth or bride price is practiced (i.e. a groom or groom's family provides assets to the bride's family in exchange for marriage), families may receive economic benefits immediately from marrying their daughters, especially if their daughter is younger. In circumstances where dowry is practiced (the bride's family provides assets to the groom's family), a younger and less educated bride may require a lower dowry, which would be an incentive for parents to marry their daughters at a younger age (Parsons, et al 2015).
When parents marry off their daughter, there are often economic and social reasons for them to make that choice. However, the short-term economic reasons that influence parental choice do not serve the long-term interests of girls.
A potential child bride in Pakistan.
Child marriage traps girls and their families in a cycle of poverty.
Girls who marry young are less likely to receive the education they need to live a healthy and empowered life. Without an education, they are less able to earn a safe and adequate income that would lift themselves and their families out of poverty. In many communities, economic opportunities are severely limited, especially for girls and women, meaning families often see little value in educating their daughters and instead marry them off to fulfill the role of a wife and mother, (Brides, G. N. 2002).
Already isolated from educational and economic opportunities, child brides often experience a high burden of unpaid work in the home, cleaning, cooking and caring for their husbands, in-laws and children (Brides, G. N. 2002, 2016).
UNICEF: Eliminate Child Marriage