The alarmingly high prevalence of child marriages in India became known globally when International Day of the Girl Child was celebrated for the first time on October 11. According to UNICEF, girl child marriages in India stood at 43 per cent in 2007-2008; it was 54 per cent in 1992-1993. A recent report of the United National Population Fund (UNPFA) also underlines the magnitude of the problem. Forty-seven per cent of women between the ages 20 to 24 were married before they turned 18 during the period 2000-2011, it stated. In 2006 alone, 11 States had 40 to 61 per cent of women in the 20-24 age group who were married by age 18. No wonder that India accounts for over 40 per cent of the world’s child marriages. Three consecutive household surveys (1992-1993, 1999 and 2005-2006) show the rate of child marriage among girls below 15 years had fallen from 26 per cent in 1992-1993 to 18 per cent in 2005-2006, an overall drop of 30 per cent. The corresponding rate of reduction during the same time period in girls below 18 years was only 12.5 per cent. While this drop, for girls below 15 years, provides some reason to cheer, it is “still not sufficient to guarantee children their full rights,” UNFPA notes.
The slow pace of decline is frustrating as the spectre of child marriage manifests itself in multiple ways — the abrupt termination of education and life-threatening health problems. A body of evidence indicates that teenage girls are less aware of contraceptives, very often do not have access to them and lack the bargaining power to use them. Thus they end up with unwanted pregnancies at a very early stage. Complications from pregnancy and childbirth are the prime cause of death in teenage mothers and their babies in low- and middle-income countries. Lack of education, rural settings and poor economic status are some of the key determinants of teenage wedlock. The UNFPA report indicates that girls from rural areas in India were twice more likely to be married than urban girls. Those with nil education were thrice more likely to become victims compared to those with secondary or higher education. While minor girls from the poorest families had a 75 per cent possibility of being married, 16 per cent from the richest households ended up the same way. Aside from poverty and lack of education, social norms and perceptions are important factors too. Hence the approach to deal with the two strata should have many commonalities and yet be different. Providing education, creating awareness and offering incentives linked to delayed marriages are more important for the lower strata. Changing social perceptions should be the priority in the case of rich parents.
Keywords: child marriages, sexual assault, girl child marriages
Child Marriage especially of girls in the 21st century shows
illiteracy,poverty and poor Indian mindset who still consider girl
child as a burden and wants to offloaded at the earliest possible
opportunity.
In this age there is no physical,mental,social or emotional maturity
to have a family.It affects the health of mother as she is not
prepared for maternity.One is ignorant of the married life and other
health issues which she can't discuss with anyone.
This all result out in poor health condition,immature birth of
baby,high maternal mortality rate,long fertility period,large family
size,neglect of the child etc.It is the high time for
1.spreading education among females.
2.Making them economically independent
3.Changing family size and raising living standard.
4.change in object of marriage from dharm to companionship.
5.Raising women status and no longer considering as an article of
enjoyment.
In my view a girl or a boy should not marry before 20 years of age for
happy life.
It has been highly thoughtful on the part of The Hindu to come up with an editorial on the vexatious issue of child marriage at a time when some Kap Panchayat memebers of Haryana have strongly suggested resort to that age-old practice as an effective measure to end the heinous crime of rape. Strangely, the state Chief Minister has also toed this line. Nothing else would be a worse wrong step because, as rightly pointed out in the editorial, child marriages invariably necessitate the abrupt stoppage of the girls' education, besides paving the path for many health problems for them. Creating proper awareness about the ill effects of child marriage and enforcing the provisions of relevant Act, should be accorded top priority.
Until the central government takes a bold stance in getting rid of
this curse of child marriages, without looking at political stakes and
votes, there is no hope. With village mukhias, sarpanchs, khaps etc.
controlling the daily life of poor villagers in many parts of India -
particularly in North India where this practice is much more
prevalent, the central government has to boldly step in to take on
these powerful people. If laws have to be changed for this
intervention, so be it. These powerful people are the key players who
deliver votes to the vested politicians, and there in lies the
reluctance of political parties and the government to break the curse.
India will continue to be a backward country no matter what the PM and
his coterie shout from the bandstand.
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