Extreme Weather events and impact on CEFM

Extreme Weather events and impact on CEFM

News: According to a recent study published in the journal International Social Work, Extreme weather events are leading to an increase in child, early, and forced marriages (CEFM)

Background:
• Droughts, floods and other extreme weather events intensify existing problems of gender inequality and poverty that lead families to marry their daughters early.
• Researchers from the Ohio State University, United States, led by Fiona C Doherty did a review of 20 studies published from 2010-2022 connecting droughts, floods and other extreme weather events to increases in child, early and forced marriages in low- and middle-income countries.
• The studies were from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Kenya, Indonesia, Malawi, Nepal, Tanzania, Vietnam and sub-Saharan Africa.

What are the key findings of the study?
• Extreme weather intensifies gender inequality and poverty. It causes adverse impacts on women and girls’ resilience during disasters.
• Child marriage is used as a mitigating strategy to reduce economic vulnerabilities. For example, In Bangladesh, daughters were married early after Cyclone Aila in 2009 to reduce their economic and food burden on the household.
• Gender inequality is identified as the primary driver of child marriage.
• The Global Slavery Index 2023 reveals that climate change and environmental factors have worsened modern slavery in Africa, with over 3 million forced into marriage and about 4 million into forced labour.
• Bride price linked to CEFM during droughts and rainfall shocks. Dowry is linked to lower marriage rates during droughts due to affordability.

Way Forward
• There is a need to prevent rise in CEFM due to rising extreme weather events.
• It is duty of health professionals and social workers to recognize links between CEFM and extreme weather especially in the context of worsening climate change.
• Good parenting, education amongst parents and awareness is associated with decreased CEFM rates.