Female Children as a Means of Repayment of Loans Advanced to Their Parents.
The Practice of using female children as collateral or payments for loans is known as ‘child bonding’ or ‘debt bondage’. It is a form of modern slavery that is illegal in many countries, including Nigeria. This type of exploitation is often seen in impoverished areas where people are unable to secure traditional forms of credit and must turn to informal lenders who may demand children as collateral.
This practice not only violates the right of the children involved but also perpetuates the cycle of poverty and inequality. Children who are forced into debt bondage are often pulled out of school and forced to work in dangerous and unhealthy conditions, which negatively impacts their health, education and overall well-being.
For instance, The Northeast of Nigeria has the largest number of child- brides due to its poverty. Most people are farmers and due to poverty, parents borrow money to cultivate their farms. During harvest, when the father is unable to pay back the loan, a father usually takes the decision to give out his daughter in marriage regardless of her age, and most times to an old man, old enough to be her father or grandfather. This girl bride is treated like a slave with no respect of any kind because of how she was taken in as a wife.
A lot of girls that marry as children; end up dying during childbirth due to their bodies not being prepared for delivery and pain they cannot bear, while a serious condition, known as obstetric fistula affects some others- a condition whereby the female child cannot control the passage of urine.
Efforts to combat child bonding and debt bondage include increasing access to credit and financial services for the poor and strengthening legal protections for children, an example is the Child Right Act which has been passed in four states in Nigeria even though they are not properly being implemented and raising awareness about the issue. Organizations such as International Labor Organization (ILO) and UNICEF are actively working to eliminate child labour and debt bondage in many countries.
It is important to keep in mind that this topic is sensitive and it’s important to approach it with sensitivity and respect for the people and communities affected by it. It’s important to not stereotype and generalize any community, culture or people and understand the nuances and complexity of the issue.
