Under normal circumstances, a Rwandan child begins school at age 7, spends 6years in primary school, 6 years in college and 4years in university. At 23 years, the Rwandan child will be available for marriage.
If passed into law, the current proposition in a marriage bill that marriageable age in Rwanda be lowered to 18years from 21 might tilt the status and form of families in the country.
The citizens are anxiously waiting for the outcome of the parliamentary deliberations on the new marriage age in the bill.
However, it is literally impossible to find a common denominator on marriage age around the world. Factors including traditional customs, economic issues and religion play an important role in deciding the average age at marriage in different countries. The differences can be shocking.
In historical Rwanda society, the age at which men and women have married at altering ages during the monarchical rule and under the republics. Until recently, Rwandans have been legally fit to marry at the age of 21.
Quite stunning though, in Rwanda is that a Rwandan is mature enough at 16yrs to acquire a national Identity card but won’t marry until they are 21.
However, at 18 one can have sex, open a bank account and qualify for a driving licence. Its these controversial rights at different ages in Rwanda that most respondents want harmonised at a common single age.
In India and Pakistan, it is tradition that parents arrange weddings for their children when they are 17, however many brides there are getting married as soon as they turn 15. This is the case also in many African countries, where economic factors force parents to marry off their daughters at an early age.
Nigeria has some of the lowest averages in Africa, with most men getting married around 23 and most women at 17.
Igihe.com has since conducted a quick survey on the subject and we bring you in part some of the comments from the public as told to our reporter Diana Mutimura;
Annette Manzi, a first year student at Kigali Institute of Management (KIM) says that it is a great opportunity because some parents previously blocked their children getting married arguing that they were still young.
Manzi explains, “As for me age is just a number. What matters is love between me and my man but the only thing the government should do is to sensitize parents. I don’t think a mother can be happy when her daughter gives birth at home because she has denied her the chance of marriage”.
Pauline Ruzinda wants marriage age be put at 18years because girls grow faster than boys and by the time a girl is 21 she is too old and not attractive. Men do not mature faster as girls do. “I think this is will decrease family conflicts among parents that have sometimes disagreed on the age with which their daughters could be married off.”
Jane Murerwa shares her experience, “I first gave birth at the age of 19years but my family did not accept the idea of me getting married to my boyfriend. Here I am with two children to different fathers and I don’t have the hopes getting married in my life because am approaching my 30s.
Fred Ndahiro 30, a businessman in Kigali wonders whether government is copying western culture, “If the bill becomes law it will not consider only girls but even boys. A girl at 18 can get married but what about a boy of 18 taking someone’s daughter and starving her.”
Convention on Consent to Marriage, Minimum Marriage Age and Registration of Marriages an organisation for women Pro- Femme Twese Hamwe calls for every to backoff from the project in favor of protecting girl’s rights.
Parents want marriage age raised even higher. Pastor Theoneste Ngaboyisongo of Inkurunzuza church believes that God is the only one that gives a happy marriage not age.
Parents argue that at 18, both the boys and girls are psychologically young, dependants and still in school. They fear limiting legal marriage age would lead to a possible increase of divorces and family conflicts.
The parents also uttered the worry of their children that, if passed, the law may be the source of students to drop out of school.
However, women are starting to get married a little late(in their 30s) and want to have jobs and first be independent and help out their husbands in life expenses, but still culturally girls who do not work are more often asked “why aren’t you married yet” by people.
Many girls in college at the age of 18 are involved in and intimate relationship but most people nowadays do not even want to get married. They care more about other things such as family, jobs,
According to John Mugabo, “It hurts when you daughter comes back home because she has failed to be patient with her husband and for that reason my children can go for marriage while they are old enough to figure out all the consequences in the family”.
A radio journalist and mother of one Aisha Rutayisire disagrees with the age limit saying, “At 18 one is still young and just exposed to the world where you don’t know what you want and I don’t believe that person can stay in marriage. Government increase the age instead of lowering the age”.
However, it is believed that young couples have almost three times the chance of ending up divorced than people getting married after 27 years old.
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