Topic: Eradicating Child Marriage
Country: Russia
Delegate Name: Dorian Thompson
School: Fishers High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Russia position papers GLIMUN 2012 committees
In Russia’s history, the majority of Russian women were married at a young age while still in school. The Russian tradition states that Russian women should get married as early as they are able to, and fifteen was considered old enough to take on an adult lifestyle and have children. The views on marriage in Russia stayed the same until the beginning twentieth century, when marriages at 19 and 20 were still common. Women as young as 25 years old were considered “old maids” among the general population. At the end of the twentieth century, it was no longer common among Russian people for 25 year old women to be considered obsolete for marriage. The present day young men and women of Russia believe it is important to not rush into marriage, and obtaining education and steady employment should be achieved before marriage. Russian government support young couples and offers affordable housing for newlyweds of a younger age. Russia believes that offering these programs will reduce the risk of divorce.
The definition of child marriage is marriage before age 18. Russian law states that women must be age 18 before they are married. The only exception to this is marriage as young as 16 if the girl has parental consent. The Russian government empowers parents to decide for their own daughters if child marriage is the correct option for their families. Perceived benefits of child brides include economic (valued for an exchange or trade). Another benefit of child marriage includes control over sexuality, which in society relates directly to a family’s honor. Therefore, if a girl is married before she has time to become promiscuous, her family honor and status will be maintained. Custom and tradition often put pressure on families due to ridicule they may face if they go against it. Lastly, parents want to secure the financial future of their daughters and ensure that she will have a man to marry. For those who choose marriage, the average age difference of men to women is four to six years, men being generally older.
Russia believes that a solution to child marriage would be offering governmental financial assistance to families who kept their daughters under age 18 at home rather than allow them to marry. Another suggestion for a solution to end child marriage is special assistance to couples who wait to marry until after their education is completed. Finally, Russia suggests that a less flexible age requirement be set for marriage to be legal. Governmental assistance would be offered to those who met these age requirements as well as the other requirements. One way of changing this requirement would be to take away the exception of age 16. The only solution to child marriage would be to eliminate the fears that the benefits of child marriage could not be obtained in any other way.
