My Thoughts on Marriageable Age (Revised)

First, I would like to say that legally classifying people based on age limits natural human rights, therefore resulting in the definition of a “person” and more specifically the definition of an “adult” being limited. The age restrictions define “maturity” in many societies. Age should not be the single determinant in deciding someone’s maturity level or capabilities to handle situations that make arise during most situations but in some cases, like this one, age restrictions are the less intrusive option.

Out of the three laws that I have analyzed in this blog, I disagree the most with the minimum age set for marriage especially concerning a young women’s marriageable age. The young marriageable age leads to lack of education and possible dangers to the young bride therefore I believe that the best thing to do is to raise the marriageable age. In many third world countries, girls are often married off when they hit puberty, in hopes of procreating. A young girl may be considered an adult in these countries but that doesn’t mean she is emotionally and physically mature to give birth and raise a child.  In fact, being too young and not physically mature can substantially increase the chances of infant and maternal mortality, especially in cultures that are underserved by advanced medical facilities. Also, in countries where the marriageable age is much lower than the one set in the United States, young brides tend to lose out on their childhood and everything that comes with growing up. Adolescent brides also miss out on getting an education which impacts their lives later down the road.

Fortunately, due to an increase in the advocation of women’s rights and children’s rights there has been a decrease in young women entering marriages. There has also been much work on changing the law by increasing the marriageable age in several countries around the world.