Too Young to Say ‘I Do’: The Silent Tears Behind Child Marriages

 

Too Young to Say ‘I Do’: The Silent Tears Behind Child Marriages

🕊️ A warm but firm cry for justice for little girls forced to grow up too fast

By Khanyisa Manganyi

“She was only 13, yet already she knew how to mother, to serve, to sacrifice. Not because she chose to… but because she had no choice.”


💔 A Child in a Wedding Dress

There’s something unspeakably wrong about seeing a child dressed as a bride. Not in play, not in fun—but in reality. Because that child will soon belong to a man, care for a house, possibly give birth, and live a life meant for an adult—without ever living her own childhood.

This isn’t fiction. It’s the lived experience of millions of young girls, particularly across Africa, South Asia, and other regions where child marriage still hides behind the curtain of “tradition,” “honor,” or “poverty.”



👧🏾 The Truth Behind Child Marriages

Child marriage is when a girl (or boy, though girls are vastly more affected) is married off before the age of 18—many as young as 12 or 13. In truth, this isn’t just marriage. It’s a surrender of her voice, her dreams, her safety, and often, her body.

Some call it “culture.” Others say “poverty made us do it.” But is marrying off a child really culture—or is it something darker dressed in tradition?


🥀 “She Had No Say…”

That’s the part that hurts the most. These girls—like the one in the documentary you watched—don’t get to say no. They don’t even get to ask why.

She learns how to cook, not because she enjoys it, but because she’s preparing for a role she never applied for. She mothers her siblings because soon, she'll mother her own—before her body or heart is even ready.

And all of it… not to serve her dreams, but to benefit her parents, or to settle debts, or to uphold a custom that strips her of her future.


😔 The Effects on These Girls

  1. Education is cut short.
    A married girl usually drops out of school—her dreams sacrificed on the altar of survival.

  2. Health risks skyrocket.
    Pregnancy at a young age is dangerous. Many suffer from complications, even death.

  3. Emotional trauma is common.
    Depression, anxiety, PTSD, and deep sadness are often buried under fake smiles and forced maturity.

  4. Loss of voice and freedom.
    She belongs to someone else. Her choices aren’t hers. Her silence becomes her new language.


💭 Is This Really Culture?

When “tradition” demands a child to sacrifice her future for others’ gain—should we still call it culture?

If a parent trades a daughter for livestock, money, or favors—is that marriage… or is it selling her?

It’s a hard question, but one we must ask boldly.



🌍 It’s Still Happening—Even Now

  • Every year, over 12 million girls are married before 18.

  • That’s 1 girl every 2 seconds.

  • In many African countries, child marriage is still legally allowed with “parental consent.”

Some girls are “offered” to older men in exchange for financial help. Others are told it’s what God or their ancestors require. But behind all the reasons is a girl who simply wanted to live, laugh, and dream.



💡 What Can Be Done?

  • Educate families and communities about the true cost of child marriage.

  • Support girls' education—because staying in school is one of the strongest shields against early marriage.

  • Strengthen and enforce laws—raise the legal age and hold those accountable who break it.

  • Change hearts, not just laws.
    Culture is made by people—it can be unmade by them too.



🕊️ A Final Thought

If this left you feeling bitter and broken inside, you're not alone.

It’s not fair.
It’s not right.
And it’s not something we should accept quietly.

Every child deserves a chance to just be a child. To laugh without fear, to dream without limits, and to grow without being pushed into a life too big for their tiny shoulders.

Let’s not whisper about child marriage anymore. Let’s speak loudly. For her.

📢 Let’s Talk

Have you seen something similar? Did this article stir something in you?
Please share your thoughts or experiences in the comments. Your voice might be the one that helps change a life.


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