Premature Marriage

Premature marriage is a very common feature in a poor country like Bangladesh. It means the marriage of the boys and girls before attaining their physical and mental maturity. In our country girls particularly poor rural girls are the victims of premature marriage. Unfortunately, the birth of girls is considered unwelcome in our country. They are neglected from their birth. They have to live in a male dominated society. As a result, they are the victims of gender discrimination. They have no 'say' in the family decision. Many parents try to find a husband for their daughters before they attain the age of maturity. We find that illiteracy, poverty, selfish attitude, unconsciousness, religious misinterpretation, dowry system, etc. are some of the causes of premature marriage. The effects of premature marriage are, no doubt, harmful for health and mind of a female child. The girls cannot adjust with the new environment of their in-law's house. They cannot serve their husbands' families properly. As a result, it leads to family conflict and misunderstanding. Sometimes, premature marriage leads to divorce, suicide, and unnatural death. Some effective steps should be taken to stop premature marriage. The govt. has already made a law against it. Early marriage is a punishable offense. According to the law, a girl before eighteen and a boy before twenty one cannot marry. To prevent the premature marriage, the conscious people should come forward. The parents should be made aware of the bad effects of premature marriage. Different mass media can play an important role in solving the problem. Only then we can get rid of the curse of premature marriage.