In the Northern Amhara region of Ethiopia, two girls, ages 11 and 8, prepare for their marriage celebration. These preadolescent brides are about to be sold to men many years their senior. While in global decline, child marriage is still apparent in Ethiopia, with families selling their daughters into marriage as young as 5 years old. The legal marriage age of 18 is widely ignored, and 48% of rural women are married before the age of 15. In 2006, photographer Guy Calaf moved to Ethiopia. During his travels, he photographed the young brides and their families.
Child marriage, which is broadly defined as marriage before the age of 18, is a practice still found in regions of Africa, South Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe and even the United States (where some states allow children to marry with parental consent). Children who are married off are often forced into the union, and because of this, it can also be referred to as forced marriage. While this practice might be seen as abhorrent in many cultures, in these communities, many families continue the practice because they believe it to be in their children’s best interest or what they feel they must do to survive in cases of extreme poverty.
According to Pathfinder International, poverty is a defining factor as to why child marriage still exists. Marrying off a daughter allows families to reduce expenses, and in some traditions, receiving a dowry or bride price is common practice. Children coming from poor families are about twice as likely to marry before 18 as those from wealthier families. Child marriage is also deeply rooted in the traditions of these communities, with some seeking to maintain family status within them. This is tied to the success of their children, and when a daughter gets married, it is representative of her success. In many cultures, if a woman becomes too old for marriage, it would mean a failure on part of their parents and risk her survival.
All names have been fictionalized to protect the identities of the subjects.
In 2006 Guy Calaf moved to Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa, where he humbly explored the country’s social dynamics at every level, from the small subcultures in its larger cities to the changing lives of rural communities whose social structures have been so dramatically altered in the last century. Guy just completed a full-time Masters of Teaching at The University of Western Australia and is the co-director of Human Factor Films, a partnership with art director Richard Keenan that focuses on producing content for social change.