pín kùn贫困yǔ与bù ān quán不安全ràng让nǚ hái女孩guò zǎo过早jié hūn结婚
In some remote rural villages, girls have to take a boat across a river and then walk along muddy paths to get to school.
When there is heavy rain or bad weather, transportation may also stop.
Many families have very little income and worry that girls may be harassed on their way to school, so they arrange for them to marry very early.
Some girls were studying in the classroom yesterday, but a few days later they become brides. They can only put down their textbooks and begin doing housework.
Parents often feel that finding a husband who can earn money can reduce financial pressure and protect their daughters.
But these marriages are often not happy.
Young couples are likely to quarrel, and some girls are abandoned by their husbands. They have no choice but to return to their parents' homes with their children, making poverty even worse.
Schools and authorities sometimes cannot learn about wedding plans in time, and it is also difficult for them to reach the villages in bad weather.
Reducing child marriage cannot rely on persuasion alone. It is also necessary to help poor families increase their income, improve roads and transportation, ensure that girls can travel to school safely, and give them opportunities to continue their education.