What about the children? A brief perspective on child marriage in Cuba

Abstract

Child marriages or early unions, understood as a de facto union, are one of the most harmful practices with the greatest negative impact on the future of children and adolescents. The rupture that is generated in the social fabric as a result of the affectation of the freedom and autonomy of minors, who end up being the most affected by this practice, is irreparable: girls married in childhood have little chance of attending school or completing their schooling, they are treated as adult women without them having been able to decide about it; in addition, they are more vulnerable to suffer violence, abuse, and rape, as well as early pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases - due to the lack of knowledge of contraceptive methods.