Child marriage is a complex social issue, quite common in the mountainous districts of Dien Bien province. In particular, in Dien Bien Dong district - where ethnic minorities account for over 95% - for many years, child marriage has been causing many serious consequences.
According to statistics, the rate of child marriage in Dien Bien Dong is still quite high, mainly concentrated among the Mong ethnic group. The reason is said to be due to limited awareness of the people, many backward customs still exist, and socio-economic difficulties, leading to many children having to drop out of school and take on the burden of family work.
In 2022, S.A.V (Phi Nhu commune) was just 15 years old, had just finished grade 9 of a middle school and got married. V's wife, S.T.S, was in grade 8 of a school in the same district. Both were still very young but had to give up their dream of going to school to enter married life before reaching the legal age.
Like S.T.S, L.T.M.L - Keo Lom commune, just turned 14 years old, had to say goodbye to school when studying in grade 8 to shoulder the responsibility of a wife in the family when entering married life. L.T.M.L's husband, is also only 17 years old and has just finished grade 9.
In Phi Nhu commune, child marriage is also quite common, with an average of 30-35 couples getting married before the legal age. The fact that children leave school early to get married makes their future uncertain, creating an additional burden for their families and society.
More worryingly, many girls aged only 14-16 are married and have children. This not only puts young families in difficult circumstances, lacking both material and life skills, but also seriously affects reproductive health.
According to statistics from the Ethnic Minorities Committee of Dien Bien province, from January 1, 2024 to May 31, 2024, there were 1,633 married couples in the province, of which 644 were child marriage couples (including the wife or husband being child married or both the wife and husband being child married), accounting for 39.4%. Of which, there was 1 incestuous marriage couple (in Na Son commune, Dien Bien Dong district).
Cases of child marriage are mainly concentrated in Mong ethnic groups, such as Tua Chua, Tuan Giao, Nam Po, Dien Bien Dong districts... The number of ethnic minority women giving birth for the first time under the age of 18 is 586 people.
According to health sector documents, early marriage and pregnancy at too young an age can lead to the risk of premature birth and birth defects in children, leading to many consequences such as: a decline in population quality, causing a burden on families and society, and increasing the poverty rate.
Mr. Tran Duc Trong - Head of the Ethnic Division of Dien Bien Dong district - said that child marriage is considered a problem of "taking away childhood" causing huge consequences. To solve this problem, all levels and sectors have implemented many synchronous solutions, in which propaganda work is considered the key.
“In addition, the district has been focusing on investing in socio-economic development programs to improve people’s lives. When life improves, people’s awareness will also change in a positive direction,” Mr. Trong added.
