City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works Dissertations and Theses City College of New York 2011 The Implementation of the Rights of the Child; Transcending the Traditional Practice of Child Marriage in Niger, Yemen, and Thailand Evette Rivera CUNY City College How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cc_etds_theses/47 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] The Implementation of the Rights of the Child: Transcending the Traditional Practice of Child Marriage in Niger, Yemen, and Thailand Evette Rivera June 2011 Master’s Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of International Affairs at the City College of New York Advisor: Dr. Jean Krasno ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Table of Contents Abstract ......................................................................................................................... 2 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 3 Justification ........................................................................................................ 4 Hypothesis ......................................................................................................... 8 Theoretical Approach ...................................................................................... 10 Methodology and Research Design ................................................................. 11 Chapter Outline ............................................................................................... 12 Literature Review ....................................................................................................... 14 Child Marriage ........................................................................................................... 24 Child marriage as a traditional practice ........................................................... 30 Child marriage and international law .............................................................. 34 Child marriage around the globe ..................................................................... 37 Niger .......................................................................................................................... 42 African views on family and marriage ............................................................ 43 Child marriage in Niger ................................................................................... 47 Role of the government and NGOs ................................................................. 50 Yemen ......................................................................................................................... 52 Middle Eastern cultural views ......................................................................... 53 Child marriage in Yemen ................................................................................ 57 Role of the government and NGOs .................................................................. 61 Thailand ..................................................................................................................... 65 Thailand’s cultural values on family and marriage ......................................... 66 Child marriage in Thailand .............................................................................. 70 Role of the government and NGOs ................................................................. 74 Role of NGOs ............................................................................................................ 79 Constructivism ................................................................................................. 80 Networks ......................................................................................................... 85 Role of NGOs and child marriage ................................................................... 88 Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 93 Case studies ..................................................................................................... 95 Ending child marriage ..................................................................................... 99 Bibliography ............................................................................................................ 108 Appendix .................................................................................................................. 118 Adolescent fertility rate ................................................................................. 119 Infant mortality rate ....................................................................................... 120 Maternal mortality rate .................................................................................. 121 ! "! Abstract Child marriage is a harmful traditional practice that affects approximately 60 million children around the globe. This thesis examines the different laws that protect children from this practice and analyzes its implementation in countries where traditional practices violate children’s rights. International provisions, such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child, charges state parties with the responsibility to protect their children. Each state has the capacity to transcend traditional practices and implement local laws that protect their children. This thesis claims that mobilization of advocacy groups is vital in promoting the well-being of children even when the norms established by social groups appear to be unchangeable. It begins with an overview of what child marriage is and how it should be a concern to the international community. The case studies considered for this thesis is Niger, Yemen and Thailand. ! #! Introduction ! $! Introduction There are many violations to children’s rights that countries need to address, such as: violence, child labor, and sexual exploitation. Child marriage was once an accepted traditional practice. Over the years, its practice has diminished considerably and is increasingly frowned upon in many countries where it is practiced. Although governments around the world have attempted to eradicate child marriage, it continues to exist to a significant extent as a traditional practice in rural areas and amongst people living in poverty.1 Most of these people lack the resources to change the course of their futures and due to deprived circumstances, find it difficult to see any other alternatives. How can states transcend traditional practices in order to implement laws that protect children from harm? Are the laws established by states achieving compliance in rural areas where child marriage is perpetuated? Justification For the purpose of this thesis, I will concentrate on different international declarations, conventions, and laws that are intended to protect children and analyze their implementation in countries where traditional practices violate children’s rights. For instance, the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) recognizes parents as natural care givers but charge state parties with the responsibility to take all appropriate measures to ensure that the child is protected against “all forms of discrimination or punishment on the basis of the status, activities, expressed opinions, or beliefs of the child's parents, legal guardians, or family members.”2 This research examines the CRC state parties’ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 1 The Population Council, “Adolescent and Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health: Charting Directions for a Second Generation of Programming,” The Population Council, 2002, accessed November 18, 2010, http://www.popcouncil.org/pdfs/adolsrh.pdf. 2 UN General Assembly, “Convention on the Rights of the Child,” United Nations, 1989. Art 4. ! %! ability to transcend the traditional practice of child marriage and implement local laws that protect their children. This thesis will be addressing the following questions: ! What approaches are state parties (Niger, Yemen and Thailand) taking to implement laws against child marriage? ! What challenges do states face when confronting traditional practices that violate the rights of the child established in the CRC? ! What role do NGOs and advocacy groups play in reaching out to rural areas where child marriage is practiced? ! What can states learn from countries that have established local laws to eradicate child marriage? The CRC was created in 1989 by the United Nations to expand human rights and concentrate on the specific needs of children in the world. This Convention is the first legally binding international instrument that covers all aspects of human rights concerning children and holds state parties responsible for implementing local laws that protect their children. Each country has its cultural and traditional practices that can represent a challenge for states when implementing laws to protect its children. While marriage is not mentioned directly in the CRC, child marriage is linked to other rights, such as the right to express their views freely, the right to protection from all forms of abuse, and the right to be protected from harmful traditional practices. Child marriage undermines numerous rights guaranteed by the CRC such as: the right to education