Child marriages--a destruction of the bride's future

UNICEF defines child marriage as marriage before 18 years of age and considers this practise as a violation of human rights.

The harmful consequences of child marriage are segregation from family and friends, limiting the child's interactions with the community and peers, lack of opportunities for education.

 Girl children often face situations of bonded labour, enslavement, commercial sexual exploitation and violence as a result of child marriage. Because of lack of protection child brides are often exposed to serious health risks, early pregnancy, and various STDs especially HIV/AIDS.
There are many reasons why parents consent to child marriage such as economic necessity, male protection for their daughters, child bearing, or oppressive traditional values and norms.

Globally more than one third of the women between the ages 20-24 were married before they reached the age of 18. Approximately 14 million adolescent girls between the ages 15-19 give birth each year. Girls in this age group are twice more likely to die during child birth than women in their twenties.

The practice continues well into the 21st century, and conflicting laws at the state and central level aren’t doing anything to make things better. Section 8(1) of the Rajasthan Compulsory Registration of Marriages Bill 2009, appears to recognize child marriage as legal by urging all persons below 21 years of age to register their marriage and is in contradiction of the Centre’s Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006.

The prevalence of this evil in India is a reflection of the deep misogyny harboured by our culture and religious practices. In order to control women’s sexuality, production and reproduction, the strategy to claim women’s bodies at very young ages was evolved. Caste endogamy (maintaining the ‘purity’ of one’s line) too is maintained through this practice. The BIMARU states (Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh) in addition to being economically poor and backward, are also the states with the highest rates of child marriages. This suggests a correlation between this social ill and poverty – where brides aren’t allowed to prosper into healthy, economically productive, self-actualized beings.

Child marriage is low among women who have had access to higher education and secondary education. Marriages in India are often unregistered, and are socially binding if not legally, which makes it hard to survey.

In 2006 the government of India update legislations regarding child marriage and passed the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 which is not making much of a difference in the situation.

The young generation needs to overview the situation and take a stand over it and try to resolve the problem by assessing with resources like higher education and making them aware about their rights.

Inspiring India