Global Child Protection Parenting Curriculum
Year 2, Lesson 8: A Maintained and Healthy Garden: Child Marriage
Time Needed: 50 minutes
Garden Images:
Index
Teacher Preparation
Introduction
New Ideas
Caregiver Connection
Application/Activity
Reflection
Closing
Teacher Preparation
Objectives
The caregiver will be able to:
- Hear a scripture that describes a mature woman’s potential to positively influence her home and community.
- Describe the negative consequences of early marriage on girls (include associated issues, such as teen pregnancy and female genital mutilation).
- List benefits of later marriage for girls on their family and community.
- Explore how to overcome barriers to later marriage for girls.
Materials
- Chalkboard and chalk
- Paper and pencil for each participant
Preparation
- Read the lesson and reflect on how to teach it wisely.
- Skim previous lesson. Prepare to have a quick review at the beginning of class.
Introduction
5 minutes
In our last lesson, we explored how God created men and women as equals. We considered ways our culture and communities promote gender inequality.
- What is gender inequality? Accept answers. When one gender is devalued over another.
- In most cultures, which gender is devalued or diminished: men or women? Women.
- What is one hope you have for increasing gender equality in your family or community? Accept answers.
Today we are going to talk about one significant way gender inequality is seen in many cultures: the practice of child marriage. Child marriage is the formal or informal union of a child to either an adult or another child. Child marriage is a human rights violation. It affects both boys and girls. But while 1 in 30 young boys are impacted by child marriage, this problem inordinately affects young girls, with 1 in 5 girls under the age of 18 forced into child marriage.
- What are reasons child marriage occurs? Accept all answers. Possible answers: poverty; income generating for parents; lack of educational opportunities; fear—daughter is safer married than unmarried; tradition.
- How is child marriage a sign of gender inequality? Accept answers. Possible answers: girl’s education is seen as unimportant; girls are considered a financial burden; girl’s well-being is not considered.
When parents allow their daughters to grow into physical maturity, get an education and pursue the development of ideas and skills, they are setting an example of gender equality to their community. But more importantly, they set a foundation for their daughter to grow into a strong and healthy adult, able to make wise and loving choices that positively impact herself, her family and her community.
In today’s lesson, we will:
- Hear a scripture that describes a mature woman’s potential to positively influence her home and community.
- Describe the negative consequences of early marriage on girls.
- List benefits of later marriage for girls on their family and community.
- Explore how to overcome barriers to later marriage for girls.
New Ideas
15 minutes
Today’s scripture is from the book of Proverbs. Proverbs is a book of wisdom, a guide for living well in God’s world. Proverbs 31 gives us a vision for how a family and marriage can look when it accepts that men and women are equal. This scripture was written about 2700 years ago and describes a woman’s potential to positively impact her home and community. As I read the description of this woman, listen for the answer to these two questions: What skills and abilities does she have? How do her family and community describe her? Consider dividing the room in half. One half of the room listens for the answer to one question, while the other half listens to the answer to the other question.
Proverbs 31:10-29
10 Who can find an excellent woman? She is worth far more than rubies.
11 Her husband trusts her completely. She gives him all the important things he needs.
12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
13 She chooses wool and flax. She loves to work with her hands.
14 She is like the ships of traders. She brings her food from far away.
15 She gets up while it is still night. She provides food for her family. She also gives some to her female servants.
16 She considers a field and buys it. She uses some of the money she earns to plant a vineyard.
17 She gets ready to work hard. Her arms are strong.
18 She sees that her trading earns a lot of money. Her lamp doesn’t go out at night.
19 With one hand she holds the wool. With the other she spins the thread.
Let’s stop here for a moment and ask our two questions.
- What skills and abilities does she have? Possible answers. Skilled with wool and flax; able to work with her hands; provides food for her family; buys land; earns money; plants vineyards.
- How do her family and community describe her? Possible answers: excellent, trustworthy, brings good and not harm.
Let’s continue to listen for how her family and community describe her and what skills and abilities she has.
20 She opens her arms to those who are poor. She reaches out her hands to those who are needy.
21 When it snows, she’s not afraid for her family. All of them are dressed in the finest clothes.
22 She makes her own bed coverings. She is dressed in fine linen and purple clothes.
23 Her husband is respected at the city gate. There he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen clothes and sells them. She supplies belts to the traders.
25 She puts on strength and honor as if they were her clothes. She can laugh at the days that are coming.
26 She speaks wisely. She teaches faithfully.
27 She watches over family matters. She is busy all the time.
28 Her children stand up and call her blessed. Her husband also rises up, and he praises her.
29 He says, “Many women do excellent things. But you are better than all the others.”
- What skills and abilities does she have? Possible answers: makes clothes and bedcovers; trades, teaches, speaks wisely; brings her husband respect.
- How do her family and community describe her? Possible answers: cares for the poor and needy; strong, honorable, wise, faithful, blessed, better than all the others.
The woman described in Proverbs 31 is praised and honored by her husband and children. She is not only capable of caring for her home and family, but also cares for those in need in her community. She is successful at business. She buys and develops land. She trades. She is skilled at weaving and makes clothing to sell. People come to her for wisdom and sound teaching. She brings respect and honor to her husband’s reputation. She is confident, strong and brings blessing to whomever she meets.
Proverbs 31 is a picture of the incredible potential all women have when they are given the opportunity to grow into the person God intended them to be. This is not a picture of what every woman should do. It is a picture of the God-given potential in every woman to be a life-giving force and positive contributor to the world.
- What characteristics from Proverbs 31 do you desire to see exhibited in your daughter? Accept answers.
- What does it take for a girl to mature into a confident, strong and skilled woman? Accept answers.
Girls who are given the opportunity to grow into full physical maturity, get an education and develop interests and skills can have an amazing impact for good in their families and communities. How do these things benefit the whole community?
Follow these instructions:
- Ask participants to get into groups of 3-5 to discuss a set of questions.
- Read one question at a time, giving 1-2 minutes of discussion for each question.
- Encourage the participants to consider the description of the woman in Proverbs 31 as they respond to each question.
- After each discussion, ask each group to report back to the class.
- After the groups have reported their responses, read the short reflection statement found after each question.
Discussion Questions:
- How does permitting our girls to grow into full physical maturity before marriage benefit our daughters, our grandchildren and our communities?
Reflection: Strength and stamina are necessary to run a household effectively. Physically mature women are more prepared and capable of managing this kind of responsibility well. Also, pregnancy is more difficult when a girl’s body is still growing and developing. There is an increased risk of complications for both an adolescent mother and her child. Childbirth is the number one killer of girls between the age of 15-19 worldwide. Babies born to adolescent mothers also have an increased risk of death, as well as a higher probability of low birth weight, undernourishment and poor physical and mental development. Allowing our girls to grow into full physical maturity benefits the health and wellness of the entire family.
- How does commitment to our girls’ education before marriage benefit our daughters, our grandchildren and our communities? Allow time to discuss in small groups and report answers to the class.
Reflection: A famous African proverb says, “If you educate a man you educate an individual, but if you educate a woman you educate a family” (J.E. Kwegyir-Aggrey). A woman’s knowledge and wisdom greatly influence her children and her community. Communities that commit to educating their girls, reap the benefits of better overall health, a stronger economy and a more stable and productive society.
- How does encouraging our girls to develop interests and skills before marriage benefit our daughters, our grandchildren and our communities? Allow time to discuss in small groups and report answers to the class.
Reflection: Girls who are supported in the development of their interests and skills are more confident to solve problems, apply skills to make positive changes and contribute to the overall success of the community.
Caregiver Connection
10 minutes
When families and communities treat young girls as worthy of love and respect, investing time and resources to help them grow into their God-given potential, they invest in a healthier economy and a better community for their grandchildren. Caregivers who commit to allowing their daughters to grow into full maturity before marriage, increase their daughter’s ability to positively impact her world for good and contribute to the health and wellness of the entire community.
There are so many benefits to waiting for our daughters to fully mature before marriage. However, there are real barriers that may prevent us from waiting. Do any of these reasons make it hard for families in your community? Read the following statements one at a time. Ask participants to raise their hand if they’ve heard this as a reason that a family must marry off their daughter at a young age.
- Fear that your daughter will be abused or assaulted if not married. Marriage brings protection.
- It is acceptable in culture, and neighbors and friends expect it.
- A daughter’s marriage brings significant financial benefit to the family.
- Worry about feeding everyone. If a daughter marries, it is one less mouth to feed.
- Indifference to the overall well-being of girls and women. It is just the way it has always been.
Follow these instructions:
- Pick the top 2 barriers that received the most hands raised.
- Divide the class into 2 groups.
- Ask each group to talk about one of these barriers and how their community might overcome the barrier. What might they do differently? How might they support and encourage each other?
- After a few minutes of discussion, have groups report back their ideas to the class.
We are not alone. We can help and encourage one another to overcome the real barriers that cause families to choose child marriage. Together, we can find solutions and improve the lives of our daughters, their families and our communities.
Application/Activity
15 minutes
Pass out a piece of paper and a pencil to each participant.
Think back to the woman described in Proverbs 31. She was a picture of the God-given potential every woman has to positively impact her family and community. Draw a picture of your daughter, fully matured and established in her own family and community. If you don’t have a daughter, choose a niece or close friend’s daughter. What might it look like for her to have a positive impact on her family and community?
- Allow five minutes to draw.
- Ask participants to show their picture to one person in the room, and talk to them about their daughter’s potential for good in the world.
- If both husband and wife are present, they can draw their picture either together or seperately.
- Encourage participants to take their picture home and talk to their daughter about her God-given potential to positively impact the world.
Reflection
4 minutes
God loves our daughters. He made them to receive his love and give his love out to the world. He sees each one as worthy of love and respect. He made them to be positive contributors to his world. Let’s take a minute to talk to God about our daughters. If you don’t have a daughter, choose a niece or close friend’s daughter. Ask the Lord to bless your daughters. Tell God all your hopes and desires for your daughter.
Allow one minute of silence.
Ask God: what is one way you want me to invest in the healthy growth and development of my daughter?
Allow one minute of silence.
Closing
1 minute
Does anyone want to share what they heard in our time of silent reflection? Accept answers, but no participant should feel forced to share.
In today’s lesson we:
- Heard a scripture that describes a mature woman’s potential to positively influence her home and community.
- Described the negative consequences of early marriage on girls.
- Listed benefits of later marriage for girls on their family and community.
- Explored how to overcome barriers to later marriage for girls.
Child marriage is a serious problem with negative consequences for our entire community. It takes courage to stand up for our daughters and support their growth into full maturity before marriage. Taking that step of courage has the amazing potential to change the life of your daughter, your grandchildren and your community for the better.
