ck.nce th:1t tlil JJI11 sun iYt". ·· · J'Ji·~·lt;;JCH>:J::t,·d Gl·:liJJS Zlrt; tlJe ]l':Jdof Jill!! alit\ fur 15- Hi \ t;Jr-old Jr;d umn.tJric·d i \\ orld\\ ick. \1ut!JtlS in this glCIUJl hce a 20 to 200 pd tl m clianctc of d\ing in JLiJJry 1lun \'.C!llli'll ;~gHl 20 to 2t Tlwsc· UJHL•J Jgt' 15 ?Jn· fm iillll'S :1s li}.c·ly to die \\ O!!irl 1 in t1,1·ir l\'.l'l 1iir•sJ• TIH· rn:1in Cll'St·: Zlll' L:itll!Jll li.Jgc. jJll'- and blJCillL Lns:~f,• :i!Jc1rlic•JJ is thr" otlwi Jmjcn risk ioi li·(·JLigt• \\"c.men - most of tl10w affi:'Cll'cl :nc unnuni1·d. Solllle Sjli'Cillc local studies show \\om outcon1cs for tlw very · 'mg nwtlwr: in Zaria. Nigeria, lllJiemal ALl lily among womrn younger than 1G \\as found to be six liJJJl'S liig!Jcr than for 11 omen aged 20-2~. ;md similar findings li;Jve been report 1•d from Canwroon end Ethiopia."' For ewry wom;m \\'ho dies in cl1 ildlJirlh, 3D more suffer injuries, infcctiom and disabilities, which mnclly go 11111rvatecl anrl some of which are lifelong. Part of 1his l1~a\y loll has more to do 1\ilh poor socio-ecDJJCllllic striltrs and lr1ck cd :llllc-ll(]ial ;md ubsll'tric care t!J<m physicJ] m:il 11rity nloiH: .111 Hov. ever, physical inlmlluritv is !lie key risk for the under l5s. High rates of Vcsico-Vagill<il Fistula (VVF) ;ne clearly irkntifiecl with marri:1ge iilld chilclbc<ning in the 10-15 year-old :lge gmup; in one study in Niger. 88 per cc•nt of 'IIJH~n will1 fbtub wm' in this age gmup _ Jll<l:ricge.~~' Molhm wlwse pehis and IJirtlJ cJndl are not fully developed often c·nclme wry prolonged lnLomi 1' Unless the motllc'r receives emergency olJStctric care, li:lcntlus' pl essme fwmtl1c bnby's skull can tlie birth Cilml, causi11g brcaLages in tl1c wall. allowing \mcontroll;Jble kaLfmm th~ bLJclckr into the \'agina. The (<llilt· prohlem Jll:l)' elso occm in rf'iiltion to tl1e Ji:'cltlm, 1\itll lh1bge of faeces (Jtctofistuhs 01 RVF) fi~tula cc,JJdiiiom illl' pr·rm:lllcnt without sUJ gical intun,ntion to re-seal thl' tisSill'S,"' snell inlf·rvtnlion may not be sougl11 or m:ry be lJaJd to access. Tl1c1e is <.on1e evidence from t\igeria tl1at FG !vl prcc1ices 1hct diJIJJnge the\ <I gina m11y 11lso incr1case the lil.elilwocl of V\'F 1;' TJJ,, ]JlH<ilcnce of VVF/R\T is not f1illy known, but \\'HO cstill!(ltf:s t]J;Jt there are l\\o million \\CI!IWn li\ing with fistuL1s ancl an <Jdclition;Jl SO,OU0-1 00,000 !JC'\\ ca\c•s every ye<JJ, lll<lll} of which go 1 :'' }s \\ilh the ustully ostracized ;:'. unck<Ui. il:Jcl i~ uitt"ll clhurcvd Jn v.l1en• tl!f- CC'iJdi:wn cffec t1 around 1SCI, CICIO I'> o:1Hn. S(J-[i\1 ]J'cl cent of \\il es with V\T Jll diYurced lr. theiJ in Niger vvr is the JblSOli for G3.3 per cent of all diloJccs.' infant and early childhood cart TilL· hc.lltil problems linhd tu IJJ:ll- ri<lgc• not only the and tht' fcH'liJs, lim al.\C1 cr'nliJJllP afil'l cbildllirtlJ. E1idence ~lwws th;Jt illLmi mort:Jlity ;nnong the children of \l:J} young Jnothcrs is higher- soJlleti!lles 11'>0 times higher- tbn among those of oldu perrs." A stronger li!:~lilwod of lcm birth-weight in tlw infant l1as \;(•eJl recmded amo11g aclolcsccntmo1 h('rs tkm amc1ng older peers. This is llloinly associiltccl witl1 poor lll:Jtemal nutrition, rl'inforcing the point that adolcsc011LS are 'unrl'acly' for childbirth. Low uirth-I'>Piglil babies are 5-30 times more lihly to d1l' tl1ilJJ babies ofnonnal weight.' 2; If a mot]Jt:·r h umkr 18, ller baby's chance of dyitig in the first year of life is GO per cent higher th<1n thai of a b;1by born to a JllllillCJ olde1 than l 0. 1" A 1093 swwy 11mong 11 omen married young in R:ljas1l1an found tl1at G3 per cent of their cliildren und~1 four were sc\'erely malnourished. The imJJl(liurity and bel; of education of a young mother undermines her cqwity for nmtme. Even children arc able to work tlib out: it was one reason given by Ncp;rli children for avoiding early mCJrriCJge. as shown by Szwc tl1e Chilclren re.c:Jrcli 1 ' 1' Future maternal health and childbearing Fin;dly. early nwriage extends a poti'ntial childbecring capacity. wLich itsElf rqm•srnts a rioL to motlH rsL l\ot until the 'demographic transition· is re];Jtively advlmced. child surYinl arkquatcly assured. and education Yalued. do fi:1nilies see the births of many children il.l a dJ;Jill on resow ces rather than an ?..'.set. Until that tinw, wome-n are under pH·s:\un· to produce mnnbers of childrc·n. Population and f<:mily pLmning policir:s since the 1D70s have tried to reduct family size, fC>cusing on the ccnnomic and E:nviromJwntal costs tu cuuntrit'S th;Jt Lie k 1he rr"sourccs to eJISur~ a good qu;dity of life fm their rapidly gru;,oing prJplll:Jtions. In this light, ('ally llJ<l!- The denlc:d of education to tLL" ul11c :Jt](, 11 t)Jr·\ licecl lrJJ tLl'il dtn·lojJ1J~<"nt. tk·ir prep:i!dti(ln for iidulllir,ocl. and 1lwir effective cuntribt1tion te: tl10 fullin· \\i:lllll'ing of t!Jc·ir Lnnily and . lndc·nl m;nriod gills v.ho v. ould likr" to ccmt inut schooling may be both pmlically and legally m luded fwm doing so Tlw imeraction bnween the ntlliJL 1:1 of YC"<Jrs of a gi1l's schooling zmd the pu'tJHlJI('IJlf'li1 of lll<lJJi:1ge is flrmly cst1hlis1Jrd by clrmogr:~pltic <1ncl fc·rtility studies. 01! , \\T,nwn witl1 .'J:vr·n 01 1lJOlt )'IC:lls of rduc;ilion nt~trry four }l;m hiler and h<11't 2 2 fl'r,n children tkn 1 lllr,sr: witl1 no education. Hu\\'cn·r, l] 10 preci~e natme of the interaction bl'i\'il·e 11 ecluc:1tion and marriage i\ not l'\ident. An girls witiJclJ a\',JJ frrJlll srl)(]oltc, marry, or is bel; of sclJoc,]illg io1 gi1ls lJ;1Jt of th1· pilltern of traclition<ll E'XlwctzJliom ;mel mles? The situation in Eangl:Jdc'sll. hmvever, b clear - a girl \':ill be Witi 1dr<twn from school if a guurl lllrllTi;JQe prospect arises. 117 DHS cbta r:lso sli0\1~',1 clear lin]; in some otlin countrius, incltJcling Nepal. l\azril:hstan ancllmlomsi<t Althongh ;tltitudes to\'lillds llte educ; 1lion of girls li?\'C· bt·gtullo c·\('JJ in tradition;tl societies, lll<lll)' paH"lli' .\till \Jdil'l't' t]IJt ill\'l'olllF'lll ill a girls ctlllc;1 tion is v.~1sted 1\ltc·n slir is holcl. Thr com ol tlit im·c,inJcnt in t'Utirtinf mu tlle impetus 1O\'. ZIJ d\ girls 1\lthdra\\·c:l f1 om ~chrJol ln rtHJ] area.\. SC'COJJUa'l' C'UilCJtiuJJ nw<lns that a gill mu~t ka1e to iL a scLool cJc,Jmilor~. Pa1cnts ft,;n 1!1:;t tlm rnay expo.IP her to rhl:s mcluclin~ ] ll JlJ;:rital Sf'\ clllcl pn,gn;mcy ln }'<urtlJlln for girls aJ e oil en r,u 1 of school fur thi.1 \tl)' rr:;"r'J 1' · gills can li\l at hunw while fe;m a);u1Jt il1ei1 pu.1s!blc .'•lXIJ;:] activit\'. rlboul sc\liill or ;i\Jc; 11 t illwcmity on thr t(J anJ flrJ 111 scl]()ul. IIH·ir a1l1·ml.!ncc. c;J\JO!l 1 ll