Enforcing Preventions of Child Marriage Cases in ASEAN Member States Within the Framework of Sustainable Development Goals

Abstract

Law prohibiting Child Marriage already exists in most countries, yet society always finds a way to send vulnerable children into marriage which exposes them to many long-term negative impacts such as higher risk of abuse and reproductive diseases. This is especially the case in developing nations, where culture and norms are still maintained more than the safety of children. Child Marriage is disproportionately harmful to girls, therefore the gender-inequality aspect of this phenomenon needs to be thoroughly analyzed. Most ASEAN Member States are also still struggling with preventing child marriages, with the rate of women married under 18 as high as 33% in some ASEAN States. Thus, comprehensive solutions are needed. Goal 5 of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) ‘Gender Equality’ has included the elimination of Child Marriage as one of its targets, thus emphasizing the importance of decreasing the phenomenon. This paper will examine the structural problem influencing the amount of Child Marriage cases in Southeast Asian countries using the Framework of Child Marriage Key Drivers, measuring the effectiveness of existing solutions, and coming up with sustainable solutions by utilizing the framework of SDGs and the IFRC Technical Guidelines National Society Programming Against Child Marriage.