Child marriages
AWARE of its negative effects, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has intensified its nationwide campaign against child marriage.
Child marriage refers to a marriage entered into where one or both parties are children.
Various quarters, including parents, teachers and church leaders, agree that child marriage negatively influences children’s rights to education, health and protection.
These negative consequences impact not just the child directly, but also the family and the community, thus neccesitating the need to curb the practice.
In the countryside, some impoverished parents even encourage their young daughters to marry an older but a filthy rich man “for the sake of the family.”
“Ang masakit ay may mga napipilitang batang babae na pumapayag sa kagustuhan ng mga magulang para maahon ang pamilya sa kahirapan,” a social worker lamented”
This despite the fact that Republic Act (RA) No. 11596 penalizes any person who causes, fixes, facilitates or arranges child marriages.
Like a person who officiates child marriages, other violators of RA No. 11596 face imprisonment of up to 12 years.
DSWD Assistant Secretary and Spokesperson Irene Dumlao said the agency is working in unison with its partners, including the United Nations Children’s Fund and the UN Population Fund.
DSWD is also conducting workshops on child marriages in various parts of the country.
The workshops are in support of the implementation of RA No. 11596, an act prohibiting the practice of child marriages in the Philippines.
