The Dominican Republic Ranks First in Latin and America and the Caribbean for “Married” or “United” Children and Adolescents
“Did you hear? Little Carmen is now married.” When you hear this in the Dominican Republic, especially in the South, you do not have to understand that between Carmen and her partner a civil or religious wedding took place. It simply means that two people are now living together, as a couple.
This happens often with very young girls, especially in the social sectors with lower educational levels. A pregnancy is often the cause for it, although not always.
In some cases, indeed, a young girl becomes pregnant as a result of a relationship, and then she goes to live with her partner. In some instances, once the girl is pregnant she is pressured to leave her school, although legally, no one can force her to do this. At the same time, she is “invited” by her family of origin to go and live with the father of the child on the way, with whom, quite often, she is not in a stable relationship. This produces a double rejection for the girl, that of the school and that of her family. However, the boy can continue school with no problem, and no one throws him out of his house. These are the worst cases.
In other occasions, the family of the girl knows that she is having relations with the boy, and so they force her to leave the house and join him, even though there is no pregnancy. In this way, they avoid the gossip of the neighbors, who would see her as a girl of loose morals.
There are even worse situations. Many girls and adolescents go to live with an older man. The man “takes care of her” and provides for her. Thus, they go from being girls to being mothers in an instant, barely experiencing youth. The difference in age and the girl’s abandoning school lead to the dramatic inequality of the couple, to her low self-esteem and, often, to instances of domestic violence. The study, “Married Girls”, carried out by the NGO Plan Internacional in the provinces of Azua, Barahona, Pedernales, Elías Piña and San Juan, claims that one of every five (or 23.4%) of the teenagers between the age of fifteen and nineteen is married to or living with a man ten years older than she. According to this study, in 39% of the cases, the men say that they like to have a very young wife because she is more obedient and can be easily dominated.
According to the author of the investigation, Jeannette Tineo, child marriage is the result of already existing intrafamily violence in the child’s home, the expectation of reducing the economic burden on the family, or even a business opportunity that is established between families as a means of getting out of poverty.
This negotiation happens in some families who live in poverty and know that their minor daughter is having relations with an older man. The parents accuse the man of rape. The man then, in order to avoid prison, pays a sum as reparation for the damage, and the girl becomes his spouse.
The study reveals that forced child marriage has a strong link with teenage pregnancy, and that of every ten girls interviewed who are married to older men, seven were pregnant when the union was established.
Among the actions proposed by Plan Internacional is that legislators support raising the minimum age for marriage to eighteen years of age. Currently the Dominican legal code permits a girl, with her parent’s permission, to marry when she is fifteen.
It is obvious, at any rate, that an urgent need exists to continue educating mothers, fathers, boys, girls and adolescents regarding values, so that these situations disappear. No one seeking the development of a dignified society of empowered men and women wants married girls.
This happens often with very young girls, especially in the social sectors with lower educational levels. A pregnancy is often the cause for it, although not always.
In some cases, indeed, a young girl becomes pregnant as a result of a relationship, and then she goes to live with her partner. In some instances, once the girl is pregnant she is pressured to leave her school, although legally, no one can force her to do this. At the same time, she is “invited” by her family of origin to go and live with the father of the child on the way, with whom, quite often, she is not in a stable relationship. This produces a double rejection for the girl, that of the school and that of her family. However, the boy can continue school with no problem, and no one throws him out of his house. These are the worst cases.
In other occasions, the family of the girl knows that she is having relations with the boy, and so they force her to leave the house and join him, even though there is no pregnancy. In this way, they avoid the gossip of the neighbors, who would see her as a girl of loose morals.
There are even worse situations. Many girls and adolescents go to live with an older man. The man “takes care of her” and provides for her. Thus, they go from being girls to being mothers in an instant, barely experiencing youth. The difference in age and the girl’s abandoning school lead to the dramatic inequality of the couple, to her low self-esteem and, often, to instances of domestic violence. The study, “Married Girls”, carried out by the NGO Plan Internacional in the provinces of Azua, Barahona, Pedernales, Elías Piña and San Juan, claims that one of every five (or 23.4%) of the teenagers between the age of fifteen and nineteen is married to or living with a man ten years older than she. According to this study, in 39% of the cases, the men say that they like to have a very young wife because she is more obedient and can be easily dominated.
According to the author of the investigation, Jeannette Tineo, child marriage is the result of already existing intrafamily violence in the child’s home, the expectation of reducing the economic burden on the family, or even a business opportunity that is established between families as a means of getting out of poverty.
This negotiation happens in some families who live in poverty and know that their minor daughter is having relations with an older man. The parents accuse the man of rape. The man then, in order to avoid prison, pays a sum as reparation for the damage, and the girl becomes his spouse.
The study reveals that forced child marriage has a strong link with teenage pregnancy, and that of every ten girls interviewed who are married to older men, seven were pregnant when the union was established.
Among the actions proposed by Plan Internacional is that legislators support raising the minimum age for marriage to eighteen years of age. Currently the Dominican legal code permits a girl, with her parent’s permission, to marry when she is fifteen.
It is obvious, at any rate, that an urgent need exists to continue educating mothers, fathers, boys, girls and adolescents regarding values, so that these situations disappear. No one seeking the development of a dignified society of empowered men and women wants married girls.
