UNICEF: Child Marriages Rampant in South Asia
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Jumat, 19 Oktober 2018 19:16 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A recent report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) stated that 46 percent of South Asian girls married before the age of 18. The report, which covers Bangladesh, Nepal, India and Sri Lanka, also stated that 2 million children died before the age of 15 of preventable health problems, and that 38 percent of children in the region are chronically malnourished.
“South Asia is one of the most risky place to get pregnant and give birth, as the region has the second highest maternal death rate in the world,” UNICEF South Asia Director Karin Hulshof told Al-Jazeera on Friday, September 12, 2014.
The UNICEF report, titled "Improving Children’s Lives, Transforming the Future", also revealed that 18 percent of South Asian girls were married off before reaching 15 years of age. The report, which was released to celebrate 25 years of children’s rights movements in South Asia, also stated that eight million children have not received their necessary immunizations.
A number of states have enacted progressive regulations in order to ensure that the children’s right to health, education, protection, and participation are protected. However, pervasive poverty and increasing social gaps between economic classes continue to tear children away from the prospect of living dignified lives. Many children do not even have the right to have a say on their futures.
“Despite the rapid economic growth in the region and the gradual changes that such growth bring about, there is a gaping disparity in the treatment of children in the region. The good news is, we know how to make positive changes to these South Asian children’s lives through innovative approaches,” said Hulshof.
AL JAZEERA | ATMI PERTIWI