I am an exchange student from Kyrgyzstan and being here for seven months I realized that girls in the U.S are more free and have their own rights and are not discriminated against by gender and are not bound by stereotypes. In Kyrgyzstan there are still traditions that ruin many girls' lives, take away their dreams, mental and physical health and the equally important higher education. To put it bluntly, many girls in my country are not safe and are subject to discrimination and gender inequality. The problem is Early Marriage among girls or victims of the old tradition “Ala-Kachuu ''(kidnapping brides). According to the National Statistics Committee, Unicef, there are 6,000 girls in Kyrgyzstan who were married off before they were 15 years old and more than 160,000 girls under 18.
Although Kyrgyzstan establishes criminal liability for forced marriage and bride abduction, but there are weak enforcement mechanisms. Many go unpunished. According to research data, up to 30 girls are abducted for early marriage per day. Moreover, girls from poor families and rural areas are 1.5 times more likely to be married before they reach puberty or become victims of the old tradition of "Ala-Kachuu”. Parents are forced to give their child for marriage to avoid the shame and condemnation of their fellow villagers. As a result Early marriages cause a lot of damage both morally and physically to the girls’ health .
Girls who marry early are exposed to violence at home and various serious illnesses.Furthermore The general incidence of disease among girls under 18 is 1.5 times higher than among adults, minors are three times more likely to have hormonal disorders and twice as likely to get infectious diseases. Also, girls get married after only 9th grade in high school or 11th grade, so they do not have a higher education, which means that they have to work in low-paying jobs, which leads to poverty and in the future they get a low pension compared to women with higher education. Another significant problem is the loyalty of society to early marriage. In almost all cases, relatives and neighbors know that there was a wedding involving minors, but they do not take any actions to inform the authorities or the police.
Questions:
1.What do you think about this topic?
2. Do you think this is a big issue?
3.How can people prevent this?
Replies
Great topci choice and well done Nozima! I am so glad you pick topics that educate students here about you country. It opens people's eyes for sure. Thank you!
I don't think that kidnapping girls for marrage is right. I don't know about this being a big issue in the United States. However we should keep it that way. I think that people should be able to marry who ever they want to and not have to marry someone that somebody else wants them too.
I think it's very sad that this is happening not just in Kyrgyzstan, but other countries as well. The fact that this something thag reguarly goes on around the world is a big issue thag many countries need to address. If places were able to get people to respect authorizes more, then it could help decrease the chances of this happening.
I think that this is a horrible thing and it needs to be stopped. People should never get kidnapped and forced into marriage, especially children. I think that the country could but stricter rules around the subject and enforce it more. Maybe make the punishment worse to discourage it.
I think this topic is bad because it is a big issue for many families and for the people involved. It is wrong to kidnap someone and let alone force them to marry you. You should get to pick who you spend the rest of your life with and it should not be forced upon you.
I think this topic is very bad and kidnapping is a very big issue in not only the United states but everywhere in the world. I think it is very wrong for people to not only kidnap people but also force them to marry you and have to live with you every day of their life. People could prevent by reporting it to the police if they suspect anything suspicious.
I think that this topic is bad and terribly wrong. I think kidnapping is a big issue, and I think that it's wrong because it is a basic right to be able to decide who you want to marry. To prevent this, people who are closely related to the person being kidnapped could report the problem if they suspect something is wrong.
Kiddnapping is so wrong for girls and boys... kidnapping is bad in general. Later on in your life you should have the choice who and when your going to get married. This is defiently a big issue because of how wrong it is. I wish the best for these people who are getting kidnaped and the worst for the people who are kiddnapping others.
I think that this topic is very sad and bad. I also think that this is a big issue because you should be able to decide who you marry and when. If this happened to me I would be terrified. I think that it would help if neighbors, friends, and families told someone that could help when they knew something was going on, rather than just watching it happen.
The horrors of being kidnapped and held hostage by someone you are meant to call your husband seems terrifying. These crimes are happening all over the world, but especially in 3rd world countries. Issues like these are one of those that nobody wants to talk about, especially in america.
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