Child Marriages Blight Bangladesh

Bangladesh has one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world, with 20% of girls becoming wives before their 15th birthday, even though 18 is the minimum age allowed by law. Why?

“It is the new kind of slavery,” says Mirna Ming Evora, who’s the country director for the NGO Plan International.

“Here girls are a burden, they don’t earn income in this culture.”

Which means they are totally dependent on their families to support and protect them and pay their dowries. That’s the money a father must pay to a future husband to secure a marriage.

“Dowry for a very poor family is work of a lifetime, they’d rather start early because the dowry is not too high. The girl is more saleable.”

She’s met many of these child brides.

“They say to me I lost my childhood.”

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