Nearly 136 child marriages were stopped in Tiruvallur over the past three years. The district administration has initiated various efforts to address the prevalence of child marriages in some of the taluks.
A workshop on the prevention of child marriages was organised at Tiruvallur on Tuesday for women-headed households and caregivers of children who have lost their parents. It was hosted by the Social Welfare and Women Empowerment Department and the District Children Protection Unit, in collaboration with voluntary organisations – Integrated Rural Community Development Society and Children Believe.
Inaugurating the awareness workshop, Tiruvallur Collector Alby John Varghese said the practice was prevalent in some taluks like Tiruttani, Uthukottai and Gummidipoondi. This year, 23 child marriages were stopped. The district administration and voluntary organisations have been creating awareness in schools.
Measures are being taken to reach out to women-headed households in 50 villages in various taluks and create awareness about various government schemes for girl children’s education. Similar workshops would be held to insist on the significance of education. Mr. Varghese also gave cheques worth a total of ₹3 lakh to 30 students for their education.
