Vietnam Cao Bang to Prevent Child, Consanguineous Marriage in Ethnic Groups
Child marriage and consanguineous (blood-related) marriage have existed for a long time in ethnic groups in Vietnam’s northern mountainous province of Cao Bang.
The problem leaves many serious consequences for their physical and mental development.
It is also a great barrier to learning and education for girls.
Cao Bang Province has proposed solutions towards ending child marriage in ethnic groups in remote areas by 2025.
Lang Ly Village in Noi Thon Commune, Ha Quang District has 37 households of Mong and Nung ethnic groups living together.
Due to the mountainous terrain, difficult roads, lack of access to clean water for daily life, and infrequent phone signal, people's lives are still very hard.
From 2015 up to now, the village had four cases of Mong child marriages.
Truong Van Thang, head of the village, said that most child marriage cases were students who left school early, worked in the fields, and had limited knowledge of marriage and parenting skills.
Thong Nhat Commune in Ha Lang District is a border commune with more than 700 households of Nung and Tay ethnic groups.
Over 50% of them are poor and near-poor households.
In the past year only, Thong Nhat Commune had four child marriages.
Chairman of Thong Nhat Commune People's Committee Chu Van Dinh said that to put an end to child marriage, the committee coordinated with different organizations to establish three clubs for legal education in many villages including Na Keo, Pac Lung, Kenh Nhieu, Na Hoach, Doan Ket, Ban Lan, and Na Lung.
Clubs maintain regular activities once a month with 164 members.
Preventing and sanctioning child marriage cases has been implemented timely and seriously, contributing to a reduction in child marriage in the commune compared to previous years.
Ha Quang is a highland and border district, mainly inhabited by ethnic groups.
The poverty rate there is still quite high.
Local residents have limited awareness, intellectual and legal knowledge. Many outdated customs still exist in people's lives.
From 2015 to 2023, the district had 353 child couples married, of which, 154 Mong were ethnic couples and 90 were Dao ethnic couples.
The whole district has 13 blood-related married couples.
Head of the Ha Quang District Ethnic Groups Affairs Division Nong Van Nhat said that the district has implemented two pilot models to reduce child marriage and consanguineous marriage in ethnic groups for the period of 2015-2025.
The models were implemented in Thanh Long and Noi Thon communes.
Based on the results of these models, the district has promoted education to change the awareness and responsibilities of local people.
The district organizes training and health workshops in villages, communes and towns to improve their knowledge and skills.
In the past three years, Cao Bang Province had 666 cases of child couples in wedlock.
Most of them are from the Mong, Dao, Lo Lo and Nung ethnic groups.
The province saw six consanguineous marriages.
This year, Cao Bang Province implemented seven measures in districts and communes at high risk of child and consanguineous marriage.
Fund for the work is from the State budget, which is over VND10 billion ($422,800).
The province aims to reduce the average number of child marriages by two to 3% each year.
Be Van Hung, head of the Cao Bang Ethnic Groups Affairs Committee, said the province would promote education on legal provisions related to legal marriage and child marriage.
The committee would also clarify the consequences and harms caused by this issue.
The province would also implement projects in the national target program for socio-economic development in ethnic groups and mountainous areas in the period 2021-2025.
The projects were expected to improve living standards and infrastructure in ethnic group areas, and boost the local economy, while raising awareness for ethnic people, and strictly enforcing laws related to child marriage and consanguineous marriage prevention and control. (VietnamNews)