Child Rape Is Just a Traditional Life Choice When It Happens to Girls

NPR reported recently on child marriage; specifically on its causes and its effects.

These include that in poor countries, fathers often marry off their daughters at very young ages -- as young as eight in some places, and very often by as young as twelve or thirteen -- simply because feeding daughters is not a priority.

In patriarchal cultures, where young girls are often the last ones fed at mealtime, ICRW's Petroni says some parents may feel a daughter's circumstances will improve if she's someone's wife.

The statistics are these: one in three girls is married by age 18; one in nine by age 13.

These children are being married to older men.  Sometimes to much older men.

In such a marriage, a child -- a much younger child -- had no way to refuse sex, or to demand birth control.  Death in childbirth is common.  Death by sexual trauma is also common.

You would think children being raped to death, or killed in childbirth, would be something anyone would be outraged over.  Anyone.

But go and read the comments at this article.

Or maybe don't, if you care to preserve your faith in humanity.

Apparently child rape is okay if it's being done to girl children in the name of patriarchy.

Update: And read this, sent to me by one of my students: child marriage in America.  Once again, child rape is fine if it's a girl and it's in the service of God and the patriarchy.