Child Brides or Child Labor in a Worst Form?

Abstract

In this article, we argue that the early and/or forced marriage of girls under 18 should be understood, in part, as an exploitive form of child labor. We describe the types and conditions of labor that are commonly experienced by child brides and we examine the strengths and weaknesses of current international laws to adequately address the issue. We also argue that the problem of child brides should be addressed by the International Labour Organization (ILO) as one of the worst forms of child labor. Finally, we suggest the ILO Convention No. 182 (known as the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention) as a legal mechanism. The convention offers one possible way to help to raise awareness in families and across societies about the harms of child marriage and provide for criminal and civil sanctions as tools to combat it.