UN Türkiye sounds alarm on potential rise in child marriages in quake-hit region

ANKARA

The United Nations Türkiye has raised concerns over the increasing risks of child marriages and gender-based violence incidents in areas affected by the devastating earthquakes on Feb. 6, 2023.

During a recent presentation to the Turkish Parliament’s commission on violence against women, U.N. officials highlighted the alarming trends observed in the aftermath of the disaster, which devastated around 11 cities across southeastern Türkiye and resulted in more than 53,000 lives lost.

Emine Kuzutürk Savaş, program manager at the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA), warned that disruptions in education and family structures aftermath of the earthquakes hold the potential to exacerbate pre-existing issues, like child marriages and violence against girls, children and women.

Many children faced school dropouts in the region, heightening risks such as forced marriage for girls and child labor for boys, Savaş pointed out, citing their field studies in these 11 provinces. The crisis also forced many families into temporary shelters, such as tents and containers, weakening traditional social safety nets and further exposing children to such dangers.

Yasemin Akis Kalaylıoğlu, program coordinator at the UNFPA, also shared striking statistics on early marriages across the country.

According to UNFPA data, 15 percent of women aged 20-24 in Türkiye were married before turning 18, with one in three of them becoming mothers while still children. Among Syrian women in Türkiye within the same age group, the situation is even more concerning as 44.8 percent were married before 18 and 9.2 percent before 15.

Turkish Youth Study, on the other hand, revealed that one in five young people in Türkiye lacks basic information about reproductive organs and nearly half are unaware of sexually transmitted infections.

The UNFPA also analyzed data from Türkiye’s domestic violence emergency helpline, revealing that over half of the women who reported abuse were married.

Additionally, digital violence particularly targets young generations, with women being 27 times more likely than men to experience harassment online.