Social Cultural and Humanitarian Committee (SOCHUM)
Chairs: Satwika Vemuri & Noor Kaur
Moderator: Aanya Gupta Chairs Emails: satvem23@bergen.org, nookau24@bergen.org Topic: Combating Child Marriage Many countries throughout the world, especially underdeveloped ones, see girls being married at a young age due to reasons such as cultural practices and increasing poverty. For some families, handing off girls early on can mean both a cheaper dowry to pay and one less mouth to feed. But for the brides, lack of education, economic dependence, a life of abuse, and very often, premature childbirth ensues. Many families in these developing nations have no choice but to give away their daughter if they want to support the rest of their family. One paramount characteristic of child marriage is gender inequality. Just one example are dowries which devalue women in addition to objectifying them. The goal of this topic should be to create a safer space for young girls across the world while keeping in mind individual countries’ limitations. Though this committee will not focus on COVID-19 related issues, it is important to understand the greater risk for many communities because of the pandemic. |
