Concluding discussions The impact of child marriage on children with disabilities indicates that it seriously threatens their overall well-being and dignity. Child marriage triggers a continuum of violence throughout the individual's life, beyond childhood, even compromising the rights and dignity of their children. It violates the rights enshrined by different conventions as a child, as a person with a disability, as a girl and most importantly as a – human being. The social construct of «marriage» built around the gendered expectations and the social identity of a person with «disability» continue to its affects, enabling not only the occurrence of child marriage but also deepening its impact. Decisions on marriage made in highly compromised situations because of the disability, creates further vulnerabilities for children with disabilities, as does their limited access to valuable life skills, support structures and protection mechanisms. Decisions made about marriage with disregard to the girls' agency disempower girls. It impacts the girls' capacity to cope with the emerging situations, overcome challenges and build a better life with dignity in the future. What further adds to this concern is the fact that neither the children with disabilities themselves, nor their immediate family or the community see it as a problem. Marriage is rather seen as a solution to existing problem or a passage out of undesirable situations. For these children, who are yet to acquire the skills to manage the complexities of adulthood, they also face challenges in coping with the issues at hand. This coping capacity is further compromised for girls and even more for children with disabilities; as a child with a disability one does not have the same access and opportunities as others. Children with disabilities do not have a platform to gain necessary insights and skills, as they are protected within families, do not attend or drop out of school, are isolated, have limited mobility and access to social processes, platforms and institutions. Like in the case of decision-making, the consequences of marriage are also complex. Each consequence is a result of multiple of factors and layers of vulnerabilities. And the impact of well-being is impacted by home environment which in turn is intensified by separation, poverty and actions of close family members. A strained relationship with in-laws or spouse, other hardships and situational challenges coupled with the lack of emotional and physical support creates a new set of challenges for coping and adjusting to the new environment. One vulnerability and consequence leads to another, creating a spiral of negative impact.
Concluding discussions The impact of child marriage on children with disabilities indicates that it seriously threatens their overall well-being and dignity. Child marriage triggers a continuum of violence throughout the individual's life, beyond childhood, even compromising the rights and dignity of their children. It violates the rights enshrined by different conventions – as a child, as a person with a disability, as a girl and most importantly as a human being. The social construct of «marriage» built around the gendered expectations and the social identity of a person with «disability» continue to its affects, enabling not only the occurrence of child marriage but also deepening its impact. Decisions on marriage made in highly compromised situations because of the disability, creates further vulnerabilities for children with disabilities, as does their limited access to valuable life skills, support structures and protection mechanisms. Decisions made about marriage with disregard to the girls' agency disempower girls. It impacts the girls' capacity to cope with the emerging situations, overcome challenges and build a better life with dignity in the future. What further adds to this concern is the fact that neither the children with disabilities themselves, nor their immediate family or the community see it as a problem. Marriage is rather seen as a solution to existing problem or a passage out of undesirable situations. For these children, who are yet to acquire the skills to manage the complexities of adulthood, they also face challenges in coping with the issues at hand. This coping capacity is further compromised for girls and even more for children with disabilities; as a child with a disability one does not have the same access and opportunities as others. Children with disabilities do not have a platform to gain necessary insights and skills, as they are protected within families, do not attend or drop out of school, are isolated, have limited mobility and access to social processes, platforms and institutions. Like in the case of decision-making, the consequences of marriage are also complex. Each consequence is a result of multiple of factors and layers of vulnerabilities. And the impact of well-being is impacted by home environment which in turn is intensified by separation, poverty and actions of close family members. A strained relationship with in-laws or spouse, other hardships and situational challenges coupled with the lack of emotional and physical support creates a new set of challenges for coping and adjusting to the new environment. One vulnerability and consequence leads to another, creating a spiral of negative impact.
PlanInternationalNorwayChildMarriageandDisabilityReport.docx