Demonstration against Early Marriages

Lado Bitchashvili, Shida Kartli

On November 25, demonstration against early marriages was organized in Gori. According to the participants, early marriages increase cases of domestic violence. According to the statistic data, during two years (2011-2013), 7 367 girls (pupils of 7th-9th grades) stopped secondary education because of early marriages and related problems.

Civil activists and NGO members protested the tendency according to which family members often have negative role in it and encourage early marriages that very often result into suspended education.

“We protest early marriages, which mostly victimize girls. Every year, thousands girls refuse to develop personally and promote in career. Every year, thousands girls cannot get education and in future faces risk of being subject of oppression and accept all good and bad what her husband offers her, because she will not have education to escape violence and live independently,” civil activist Gvantsa Doluashvili said.

Students and school pupils also participated in the demonstration. They requested to allow girls to manage their lives independently, to have right to choice and get education.

According to the demonstrators, there is alarming statistics in the country when four under-age girls become mothers everyday that is too risky for their health and life.

The Parliament of Georgia has already adopted the bill regulating the marriage of girls under 16 at the first hearing. According to the bill, parents will no longer have ultimate authority to give permission on marriage and it shall become competence of only the court. Author of the draft law MP Tamar Kordzaia said soon people under 18 will not be allowed to get married in Georgia.