Poverty a major culprit
The causes for child marriages according to the study were:
· Poverty and economic hardship -- 55.4% of those who took part in the study were employed as casual or temporary labour and 86.5% had said that they were unable to support themselves financially. The monthly income of 94.1% of them was below Rs. 25,000 per month and they were unable to meet the basic necessities such as food, housing and clothing. They were in debt and micro-finance companies provided loans without collateral at a price.
From Ampara, came the pathetic tale of a 16-year- old forced, after constant beatings, by the parents to ‘marry’ a neighbour as they were indebted to him.
Lack of educational opportunities & facilities – 70% had attended school up to Grade 11, but only 5.6% had completed secondary education. A majority of the girls marrying while being underage had mothers who had done the same.
Lack of economic & social
development
Love affairs and teenage pregnancies – it was common to engage in sexual intercourse at an early stage in a relationship. 19.5% of the couples were ‘living together’ by the time they were 15 years and 70.2% by the age of 17.
Ignorance of the law -- 33% of those interviewed were not aware of the laws governing underage marriage. Even among those who knew the law, practice superseded theory, with more than 50% of elders encouraging underage unions.
These had been exacerbated by the conditions of war, even so many years after the war had ended:
Displacement
Loss of life and property
Security and safety concerns
especially for girls