The reason why I chose to make a petition on child marriage is to discuss the importance of this issue in today's society. No matter how old we get, child marriage will stay relevant as it is an ongoing issue that has existed for centuries. Despite laws stating a legal age to marry, children are still forcefully married to people older than them or in the same period. It is crucial to remember that child marriage is considered a human rights violation and a harmful practice that primarily affects women and girls globally, preventing them from living free from all forms of violence. It also plays a factor in the futures of girls and women by threatening their lives and taking away their decision-making power. When a child is married, it is known that they are more vulnerable to violence and abuse and are often accompanied by early and frequent pregnancy and childbirth, which results in maternal morbidity and mortality rates along with increased birth rates in many countries due to the increased amount of children getting married. For example, in my class in grade 12, "Challenge and Change," we looked at a worksheet called "Analyzing and Understanding Demographic Trends and Patterns," in which we looked at several reasons for the high birth rate. In India, for example, child marriage is banned, but it still exists in many remote areas. According to Pew Research Paper, we can see that the average Indian woman is expected to have 2.0 children in her lifetime. In contrast, the Indian population stands at 1.429 billion people this year, overtaking China for the first time (Tong, 2022). So going back to the question, another reason for a high birth rate would be child marriage, as child marriage is a contributing factor to a higher fertility rate as women marrying earlier tend to have children earlier and be able to carry more children over their lifetime which increases the birth rate and population.

Further analysis across fifteen countries shows that when a female's reproductive life ends, women who got married at age 13 have, on average, 26.4 % more live births than if they got married later. If this harmful and inhumane practice ends, the majority of the fertility rates across the 15 countries would be reduced by one-tenth. Niger, for example, is the country with the most childbirth, so if birth ends, the population growth would be reduced from 3.9 percent to 3.5 percent (Campbell and Raushenbush, 2017). Furthermore, this issue is vital because ending child marriage will benefit the economy by improving living standards resulting from lower population growth, which is large and would rapidly grow over time. If child marriage ended today, that would result in economic benefits that would run globally for 106 countries in trillions of dollars by 2030 (Tong, 2022).

Additionally, child marriage violates rights and hurts health, emotional development, and education opportunities. Most affected are girls born in low-income families and are less educated, so they are more likely to get married at a younger age. Poverty plays a significant factor, and many families think it would be difficult to find a good man when they get old. These young children are forced to care for their husbands, cook, and clean instead of obtaining a good education. Many rights and freedoms are taken away. These children should attend school and be holding paper and pen instead of responsibilities at a young age. 

On the other hand, these children are abused and harassed, and their right to enjoy being children is taken away. If we do not take action now, more than 150 million girls will become brides by 2030 (Tong, 2022). By signing this petition, you are helping to stop this inhumane act. Your action can also be seen through the learning theory as if you choose to sign this petition today; you are doing it because you know something is wrong and the importance in today's society, which is why you decided to speak out against it and are demanding change by leaving your signature. Your action will inspire other people to demand change on this issue, which is precisely what learning theory is. Learning theory refers to "a process that leads to change, which occurs as a result of experience and increases the potential for improved performance and future learning" (Ambrose et al., 2010). Let us all get together and help to end this inhumane act and sign this petition. Our children's future lies in our hands, so let's make a difference and end child marriage. I am trying to make a change, so I encourage you all to sign this and share it with others!