child marriage in India

Why do children marry?

A legal or informal relationship between two people in which one or both parties are under the age of 18 is referred to as a "child marriage." It is a human rights violation that affects both boys and girls but disadvantages females more than males. Child marriage is a worldwide issue that affects all nations, ethnicities, and faiths.

Child marriage is detrimental and may have a bad impact on the child's physical, emotional, and psychological health. Youngly married children frequently have to leave school, which reduces their chances of furthering their education and advancing their financial situation.

Moreover, they are more likely to experience domestic abuse, sexual assault, and other types of exploitation. Young moms are frequently expected to have child brides, which can have negative health effects on both the mother and the child.

The problem of child marriage is complicated and calls for a multipronged strategy that incorporates community involvement, legislative reforms, and educational initiatives. To prevent and halt child marriage, governments, civil society groups, and individuals all have a part to play.

Child marriage's effects in India

In India, child marriage has a serious detrimental effect on children's health, education, and general well-being, especially for girls. One in three girls is married off before the age of 18, making India the country with the highest percentage of child brides worldwide.

The following are a few effects of child marriage in India:

Health: Because of their underdeveloped bodies, child brides are more likely to encounter health issues during pregnancy and childbirth. Also, they have an increased chance of getting HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

Education: Child brides frequently have to leave school in order to get married, which reduces their chances of furthering their education and advancing their financial situation. This keeps the cycle of disadvantage and poverty going.

Gender inequality: Since girls are disproportionately impacted, child marriage fosters gender inequality. The freedom to make choices about their own lives, including their education, health, and future, is frequently denied to child brides.

Domestic abuse: Child brides are more likely to experience physical abuse, sexual assault, and other types of exploitation.

Economic impact: Child marriage hinders young people's ability to participate in the labour force and the general economy, which has a negative effect on economic growth.

Implementing laws and regulations, expanding access to health and educational resources, and working with local communities to alter societal norms and attitudes are all part of India's efforts to prevent and terminate child marriage. 

To guarantee that every kid has the chance to realize their full potential, more work must be done.

How child marriage impacts children's lives

Child marriage has a significant and frequently disastrous influence on children's lives, particularly those of females. 

The following are some effects of child marriage on children's lives:

Education: Child marriage frequently causes a child's education to halt. Once they get married, child brides are typically pulled out of school, which restricts their possibilities for education and financial progress.

Health: Maternal mortality, obstetric fistula, and infant mortality are three health issues associated with early pregnancy and delivery that child brides are more likely to experience. Moreover, they are more likely to develop sexually transmitted diseases.

Psychological well-being: As children who are married as minors frequently have to leave their families and communities and marry someone they barely know, child marriage can have a serious psychological impact on children. Trauma, anxiety, and despair can result from this.

Social exclusion: child brides frequently feel alone and abandoned since they are cut off from their families and communities.

Economic instability: Child brides frequently aren't able to work or make a living, which can result in economic instability and poverty.

Restricted ability to make decisions: Child brides frequently have little control over aspects of their lives, such as their future, health, and education.

These intricate and linked effects on children's lives must be considered in efforts to prevent and stop child marriage. These efforts must engage a variety of stakeholders, including governments, civil society groups, and local communities.

Children’s marriages, Comparisons of children's schooling

Child marriage frequently results in a kid's education coming to an end; hence, child marriage and child education are two issues that are strongly intertwined. 

A comparison between child marriage and child schooling is provided here:

Despite recent global improvements in children's access to school, girls' access to education is sometimes constrained in nations where child marriage is common. Once they get married, child brides are frequently taken out of school, which restricts their possibilities for education and financial progress.

• Economic impact: Child marriage hinders young people's ability to participate in the labour force and the general economy, which has a negative effect on economic growth. On the other hand, because it boosts productivity and works to combat poverty, education may have a beneficial effect on economic growth.

• Health: While children who obtain an education are more likely to have positive health outcomes, child brides are more likely to have health issues connected to early pregnancy and childbirth.

• Gender equality: Because girls are disproportionately impacted, child marriage fosters gender inequity. On the other hand, education may support gender equality by enabling women and girls to fully engage in society and make educated life decisions.

• Psychological well-being: As children who are married as minors frequently have to leave their families and communities and marry someone they barely know, child marriage can have a serious psychological impact on children. 
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• By encouraging social and emotional growth, education, on the other hand, can have a good effect on mental health and well-being.

In conclusion, attempts to address one issue must include the influence on the other since child marriage and child education are intertwined. To avoid child marriage and to advance gender equality, economic growth, and positive health outcomes, it is essential to support all children's access to education, especially girls.

India's child marriage law

In India, child marriage is forbidden under the Prevention of Child Marriage Act (PCMA), which also aims to stop and criminalise the practice. The older Child Marriage Restriction Act of 1929 was superseded by the Act, which was approved in 2006.

Some of the most important clauses of India's Prevention of Child Marriage Act are listed below:

• According to the Act, a child is any man or woman who is less than the age of 18 or 21.

• The Act forbids children from becoming either the bride or the groom in marriages that are solemnized.

• Under the Act, those who participate in, enable, or support child marriage are subject to a fine of up to Rs. 1 lakh and a sentence of up to two years in jail.

• The Child Marriage Prohibition Officers are appointed by the Act, and their job is to prohibit child marriages and take legal action against those who do.

• Anyone may report a child marriage to the authorities, and the Act mandates that they act quickly to end the marriage.

The Act allows for the annulment of child marriages, which results in the marriage being deemed void from the start.

Child marriage is still a major issue in India, especially in rural regions and among underprivileged people, notwithstanding the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act.

The law has to be upheld more strictly, and awareness of the negative consequences of child marriage needs to grow. Girls' access to school and employment possibilities must be expanded, and communities must be actively involved in transforming societal norms and attitudes.

Countries with a high rate of child marriage

Although child marriage is a worldwide issue, it is far more prevalent in some nations than others. 

The top five nations with the highest rates of child marriage are shown below.

• Niger: With 76% of girls getting married before turning 18, Niger has the highest incidence of child marriage worldwide.

• 68% of females in the Central African Republic get married before they turn 18 years old.

• Chad: Girls frequently get married at relatively young ages in Chad, where the child marriage rate is 67%.

• Bangladesh: Despite recent improvements, child marriage is still a problem in Bangladesh, where 59% of girls get married before they turn 18.

• Mali: In Mali, 52% of girls are married before they turn 18, and rural regions are the most likely places for this to occur.

The topic of child marriage is complicated and is impacted by several social, economic, and cultural variables. Several issues must be considered in efforts to prevent and stop child marriage, and a variety of stakeholders, such as governments, civil society groups, and local communities themselves, must be included.