Why are child brides a blind spot for humanity?

a reply to: MOMof3

our ancient mothers didn't have any legal, or religious grounds to stand on to fight for their daughters on this issue. and well, if you look in the areas that this problem is predominate, I have a feeling that their mothers don't really have any grounds to stand on either. my favorite religious quote, although I have no idea where it came from is that men are for action, women are for endurance.... we've always been expected to just endure whatever action our men decided to take... if you look in history I also think you will notice that it took the women fighting for some political and social power before they could get our marriage laws changed in the US. heck at one time we had women and girls being auctioned off in new orleans as future brides.

originally posted by: beansidhe
a reply to: Profusion

Also, is the age of consent in Turkey not 18? I thought it was.

There are several countries that have "official" ages of consent but *wink, wink, nudge, nudge* ceremonies still go on. It does happen in the US too with some of the creepier cults - think Warren Jeffs.

a reply to: Shiloh7

Oh now ... child brides are common in India and tribal Africa, too. It is not just a Muslim and Jewish thing.

originally posted by: ketsuko

originally posted by: beansidhe
a reply to: Profusion

Also, is the age of consent in Turkey not 18? I thought it was.

There are several countries that have "official" ages of consent but *wink, wink, nudge, nudge* ceremonies still go on. It does happen in the US too with some of the creepier cults - think Warren Jeffs.

Yes, and Warren Jeffs is in prison where he belongs alongside all these other pedophiles.

a reply to: ketsuko

It's an issue of patriarchy really, a vast and wide scope of sociology. It was only in the 1920's or thereabouts that women were allowed to vote in the West. So we're a mere century further forward and we're looking around aghast at the state of the rest of the world. How did it get to be this bad?
Malala Yousafzai nearly died for asking for an education only a couple of years ago.

I don't see this as a problem of religion (nor do you I realise, it's just that I'm on my soap-box now and I'm taking full advantage) but a problem of patriarchy. I know some people mock feminism and say it's bad, but it's a necessary movement for stopping these kinds of atrocities. Women and girls need to be able to say 'no' and demand change and that is almost impossible if you're a lone voice in a culture where even your mother condones the act of child marriage. So they need ALL women to stand behind them, globally, undivided by religion or politics and back them.

a reply to: beansidhe

I don't know if it's patriarchy so much as a product of harsh survival reality of living in third world conditions.

When you are short life-spans and low childhood survival rates, marrying young, as soon as you can, is normal practice to ensure enough offspring who are raised to an age of independence by the time you die.

Patriarchy is side effect.

a reply to: ketsuko

Also, I've just googled Warren Jeffs. Good God, he's completely bonkers. I'd put some of his quotes here, but it's better if they're not repeated in print.
I'd never heard of him until now, but yes, perfect example of raving patriarchal nitwit. (The polite version of what I think )

And in the good old USA we have the inner cities. Girls 16 with 2-3 children is not uncommon. Of course there's places in the countryside too. Last night by the fire 2 20 year olds were talking about a classmate that just had her 4th kid and the state keeps taking them away.

a reply to: mikell

Yes, it is not uncommon for healthy menstruating girls/women to get pregnant. And we have laws in the US to protect 16yr olds against anyone over 18. But what is the point of having sex with undeveloped children?

Because the media tells us what to hate and the politicians control the media. Since a lot of top politicians" love the kids" they don't put it on front street like it should be. And because the top people cover it up it makes it easier for the civilian pedos to get away with it. And the politicians that aren't pedos make money from the ones that are so they stay quiet. And that's just here at home. I won't get started on why it's accepted in places overseas by our military because our "allies" really like it so even the military won't stop it. I wonder what dirt our allies have on us that they could bang little kids right in front of us and our attitude is " that's how they do things over here" . It's all about the hypocrisy of or democracy.