Kenya: Drought pushes families to sell girls into marriage
As hunger deepens across Kenya, desperate families marry off daughters to survive.
NAIROBI, Kenya (MNTV) – In Kenya’s arid regions, a devastating drought has left families facing stark choices: starve or sell their young daughters into marriage.
A recent report by Al Jazeera reveals the growing phenomenon of child marriages driven by extreme hunger, as livestock perish and crops fail across the country.
In pastoral communities hardest hit by drought, girls as young as 12 are being forced into unions with much older men, sometimes in exchange for a few goats or a sack of maize. Parents, many of whom are themselves starving, see no other way to secure food or income.
“We don’t want to give away our daughters,” one father told Al Jazeera.
“But if it means the rest of the family survives, we have no choice.”
Aid workers say the situation is undoing years of progress made against early marriage in Kenya.
“We had reduced child marriage rates significantly over the past decade,” said a UNICEF official. “But now, survival is forcing families to make desperate decisions.”
The Kenyan government has declared the drought a national emergency and appealed for international assistance, but relief efforts have been slow.
Experts warn that unless urgent action is taken to address food insecurity, more families will resort to these desperate measures.
The ongoing crisis is also fuelling school dropouts, as girls who are married off rarely return to education.
In some cases, they face abuse, early pregnancies, and even death due to childbirth complications.
Climate experts point to the worsening drought as a direct result of climate change, with Kenya’s arid regions experiencing reduced rainfall over successive years.
Humanitarian organisations stress the need for long-term solutions, including better water management systems, sustainable agriculture, and education initiatives aimed at empowering girls.
International agencies are calling for urgent humanitarian assistance to prevent further deterioration of the situation.
Some non-governmental organisations have set up rescue centres where girls can seek protection from forced marriages.
As Kenya struggles to respond to the dual threats of climate change and food insecurity, the fate of its youngest and most vulnerable hangs precariously in the balance.
Without decisive intervention, the dreams and futures of a generation of girls risk being lost to hunger and desperation.
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