Articles:
Young Women Today Prefer Delayed Marriage
Preference for delay or postponement of marriage is natural fallout of changing perspectives and priorities in life. For young girls these days, many other aspects of life have been gaining priority over marriage. These days girls choose to improve their lives and,
- Pursue specialized education or professional degrees that will bring out their talents in better way and at the same time live as better informed individuals.
- Rise in career and gain professional stability that will make them respected and independent in a society.
- Understand relationships and have time to indulge in friendship with the other sex. This will give them better insight for building better relationships in a family.
- Become physically and emotionally strong enough to enjoy and manage a healthy family life.
Other-side of the coin: Adverse effects of early marriages
The UN agency United Nation’s Popular Fund reports that one out of three girls in low and middle income countries marry before the age of 18 and one out of nine girls marry before their fifteenth birthday. In the least developed countries nearly one out of two girls have child marriage. If this rate continues strong, there will be 14.2 million child marriages in 2010 and 15.1 million by the year 2030. Marriage of a girl or a boy under the age of 18 is considered child marriage. It is violation of Article 16(2) of Universal Declaration of Human rights. This Article states that marriage should be entered with free and full consent of intending spouses.
Married at a younger age, and being less educated, most of the women have to confine themselves to household work, and stay committed to taking care of husband and children under all circumstances. Men and in-laws have often taken advantage of such helpless state of women to abuse and suppress them. Early marriage interrupts progress of education and reduces chance of being economically independent. Sometimes they are forced into relationships without much mental preparation. Nipped at the bud, women have no opportunity to improve their life later or come out of bad marital relationships.
Expanding horizons: Empowering women
When women are educated and have the ability for independent thinking they make progressive and responsible wives or mothers after marriage. They are able to contribute towards the family in many healthy ways such as:
A well-educated woman is a well-informed wife and mother. They are better equipped to take appropriate steps to keep a family healthy and protect them from harmful impacts of fast and ignorant living.
A well-educated woman will always be a better guide for children. Such mothers will always strive to keep up with the changes in society and guide their children to seek better opportunities.
An economically independent woman can always stand by her husband to strengthen financially root of the family. She can take part in investments and taking better decisions for financial security of the family.
A matured woman can always handle emotions of husband and children better. She can understand her partner’s delicate emotions better and support him to come out of any trouble.
On the other-hand, when a woman is reduced to an emotionally weak and an ignorant state they are compelled to live a life of lesser worth. Such women can never light the path of improvement or progress for their family. In such scenarios, children are left to face the changing world independently without a timely supporting hand from mother when fathers are busy securing bread for them.