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Semantee Chattopadhyay
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Child marriage is a marriage of a girl or boy before the age of 18. It refers to both formal marriages and informal unions. It also means children under the age of 18 living with a partner as if they are married. According to India’s Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 a child means a male below 21 years of age and a female below 18 years of age.
Child marriage violates human rights, harms the life of the child bride. Girls get deprived of their basic rights and independence and cases of domestic violence increases. Women due to this have a lower status in society. Child brides generally give up education for their marriage. Children are neither physically nor emotionally prepared for marriage. They are more like to face dangerous complications during pregnancy and childbirth. It is one of the causes of death among adolescent girls. This also increases the rate of sexually transmitted diseases. Child marriages create larger families and delayed demographic dividend. A study by the international centre for research on women (ICRW) shows that child marriages could cost trillions of dollars to the developing countries by 2030. With every child bride, the world loses a teacher, doctor, scientist, entrepreneur, political leader.
Child marriage is a global problem that cuts across countries, cultures, religions and ethnicities. In India, girls between the age group of 15-18 years are more vulnerable to child marriage. This happens due to the insecurities of the family members, illiteracy and lack of awareness about its negative impact. Many a time a child is married off to an old man by her family to save themselves from a huge amount of dowry. Many traditions and irrational beliefs lead to families marrying off their children at an early age. India contributes to 33% of the total number of child marriages globally.