Student representatives participating in the exchange at the forum. Photo: NGOC LY

The consequences cannot be ignored

Currently, the situation of child marriage is still smoldering in many places, especially in ethnic minority areas of the three mountainous districts of Song Hinh, Son Hoa and Dong Xuan.

This situation not only poses immediate challenges but also raises concerns about the long-term consequences of early marriage, especially for the comprehensive development of the younger generation. Not only is it a story about reproductive health and physical development, early marriage also deprives children of the opportunity to study and start a career, creating a vicious cycle of poverty and backwardness. At the age of 14-17, when their bodies and minds are not fully developed, entering into marriage too early puts them under great economic pressure and responsibility. This can easily lead to conflicts, broken marriages and leave lasting consequences for the next generation.

The causes of this situation are diverse, stemming from backward customs and practices, lack of understanding of parents and limited awareness of the children themselves. Preventing child marriage is becoming an urgent task, requiring the joint efforts of families, schools, communities and local authorities.

Say no to child marriage

In order to create opportunities for minors to share and speak out about the issue of child marriage, the Provincial Women's Union and the Song Hinh District Women's Union recently coordinated to organize the forum "Listening to minors speak" with the topic of preventing and combating child marriage in ethnic minority areas. The forum attracted the participation of representatives of departments, organizations and 70 students from the Leaders of Change Clubs in the three mountainous districts of Song Hinh, Son Hoa and Dong Xuan.

At this forum, Ban Thi Uyen Nhi, a 9B student at Song Hinh District Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities, shared: "Near my house, there are two people who got married when the girlfriend was only 16 years old and the boyfriend was only 17 years old. Because they are too young, do not have a stable job, have not finished high school and still have to depend on their parents, their lives are in a state of deprivation and constant conflict. From what I have seen and heard, I realize that only when they are truly mature, have a stable job, and are able to be independent, should young people think about getting married to build a sustainable and happy family." Uyen Nhi also expressed her wish that parents need to be closer to and understand their children more, listen to their wishes instead of imposing or forcing them, so as not to "push" their children into a life full of difficulties.

Sharing the same thoughts as Uyen Nhi, Tran Khanh An, a student at Chu Van An Secondary and High School (Xuan Lanh Commune, Dong Xuan District) said: My school regularly organizes extracurricular activities for students to raise awareness of the Law on Marriage and Family, helping students understand the harmful effects of early marriage. At the same time, the school also coordinates with the Youth Union to visit families, popularizing knowledge about reproductive health and adolescent psychology for both students and parents.

Phan Trieu Minh Anh, a student at Song Hinh District Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities, and many of her schoolmates hope that mass organizations will continue to build models of "Youth say no to child marriage", creating forums for young people to speak up, support each other to change their perceptions, and contribute to building a civilized and progressive community.

Sharing about the significance of this forum, Ms. Tran Thi Binh, Vice President of the Provincial Women's Union, said: We organized the forum to listen to the voices of teenage students in the three mountainous districts of the province. The forum is an opportunity for them to express their thoughts and aspirations, affirm their roles and responsibilities in propagating, changing community awareness, joining hands to prevent, repel and eliminate child marriage in the locality. Thereby, the unions at all levels and relevant departments and agencies will develop appropriate and effective programs and solutions to prevent and repel child marriage, eliminate backward customs that are no longer suitable for modern customs and social norms.

"Child marriage is not only a sad story for each family but also leaves long-term consequences for the community. Therefore, in addition to raising awareness for students themselves, it is necessary to have the cooperation of families, schools, communities and local authorities in efforts to prevent and eliminate this situation," said Vice President of the Provincial Women's Union Tran Thi Binh.