1. CHILD
MARRIAGE
Presented By : Deepanshi Jadon,
Shivaji Jadhav
Semester : 2nd
Course : MSW
Date of Presentation : 07 /07 2021
2. Meaning of Child Marriage
Child marriage can be
described as a formal
marriage or an informal union
entered into by an individual
before attaining the
prescribed eligible age.
3. Origin of Child Marriage
A report by The New York Times states that according to sociologists Gujjar’s and similar
groups trace the origin of child marriages in India to the Muslim invasions that began more
than 1,000 years ago.
According to legends invaders raped unmarried Hindu girls or carried them off as booty,
prompting Hindu communities to marry off their daughters almost from birth to protect them.
Many scholars state that the Muslim rule led to the deterioration of the status of women in
India, which included a spike in child marriages to protect the girls from Muslim rulers and
landlords.
Some others suggest child marriages were common everywhere in the world before the 19th
century.
At the time of the Delhi Sultanate, political atmosphere was turbulent and ruled by Muslim
Sultans in an absolute monarchy government. During this period the Sultans produced
practices such as child marriage and had lowered the status of women even further.
4. The Vedas, specifically the Rig-Veda and Atharvaveda, have verses that clearly
indicate that during the Vedic Period, girls married well after attaining puberty
and were of a mature age.
The Dharmasastra also state that girl should be married after they have
attained puberty.
5. Facts
According to the UN, 37,000 girls under the age of 18 are married each day. We now have
the greatest number of married girls and girls at-risk of child marriage than ever before
1 in 3 girls in the developing world are married before 18; 1 in 9 are married before the age of
15
If present trends continue, more than 140 million girls will be married before the age of 18 in
the next decade
Globally, almost 400 million women now aged 20-49 were married before the age of 18
According to a UN report, India has second-highest number of child marriages.
According to united nation population fund more than 140 million girls become child bride in
2020
Data shows that 16% or one in six girls age group of 15-19 have started bearing children The
number of women who die during pregnancy and childbirth declined only slightly from 254 in
2006 to 212 in 2009.
6. Effects
1. Early Pregnancy-Health Complication
2. Fall in High Fertility Age Group
3. Inabilities to plan or Manage Families
4. Effect on Sexual Health of Young Girls
5. Desire for Male Child
6. High differences in age between bride and
bridegroom
8. Consequences
Child marriage effectively ends a girl’s childhood, curtails her education,
minimizes her economic opportunities, increases her risk of domestic violence,
and puts her at risk for early, frequent, and very high-risk pregnancies
Girls under 15 are five times more likely to die in childbirth than women in their
20s and face higher risk of pregnancy-related injuries, such as obstetric fistula
Child brides are often unable to negotiate safer sexual practices and are
therefore at a higher risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections
The negative consequences of child marriage reach beyond the girls themselves:
children of child brides are 60 percent more likely to die in the first year of
life than those born to mothers older than 19, and families of child brides are
more likely to be poor and unhealthy
9. Challenges to stop child Marriage
low public awareness of the illegal nature of child marriage, and of the
consequences of child marriage.
gaps in service delivery and ineffective response mechanisms.
lack of trust in authorities among rural and ethnic minorities
communities.
10. How to increase awareness
The situation has become so pathetic that there is an immediate need to make
people aware regarding child marriage and its consequences.
Children should be made aware of their human rights and must be taught to
refuse and speak up once such an incident is taking place or is about to take
place.
The media can play a vital role by broadcasting various entertainment shows like
'Balika Vadhu' in order to make people aware as well as to warn them.
In a way, media sensitization is required for a major change to take place.
11. Name of the NgO’s Fighting child
marriage in India.
1. Saarthi Trust( 2011) - is the first organization to annul a child marriage
in India.
2. Aangan Trust (2002) – It works to ensure protection from trafficking,
hazardous work, child marriages and violence
3. Girls Not Brides (2011)-Dedicated to ending child marriages.
4. Institute of Health Management Pachod (1986) –The IHMP provides
life skills and education to these girls in order to make positive life
decisions and prevent child marriages.
5. CHILDLINE India Foundation – it also works to end the child marriage (
103, Link Rd Number 2, New Market, STT Nagar, Tulsi Nagar, Bhopal,
Madhya Pradesh 462003)
12. Initiatives of NGO
Veerni - NGO which helps the socio-economically downtrodden girls in finishing their desired level
of education but myopically. They are a savior to child brides, flag bearer of women empowerment
in rural areas, and a haven for orphans. Veerni has helped them with their college admission fee,
tuition fee, hostel fee, seminar costs, career advice, and even legal counselling, among other things.
1)Saarthi Trust: Rehabilitation psychologist Kriti Bhartihe founded Saarthi Trust in 2011.
This organization’s main focus is working on the establishment of rights for women and
children, child marriage annulment and protection for women and children.
CRY NGO- it is working tirelessly to address the issue by conducting online counselling
sessions with adolescent girls, organizing home visits to high risk homes, building
awareness on the ill-effects of child marriage among Panchayat leaders.
Girls Not Brides: Dedicated to ending child marriages, a group of independent global
leaders called The Elders founded the global partnership of Girls Not Brides in 2011. There
are members of this organization India, Kenya, Mexico and Senegal. The organization’s
main goals are to raise awareness of the negative impact child marriages have through an
open, informed and inclusive conversation with communities, facilitate learning with
organizations ending child marriages and mobilize policy to end child marriages. The
organization works directly with girls by helping them build skills, empowering them and
developing support networks.
13. Law on Child Marriage in India
The Child Marriage Restraint Act,1929( define from section – 1 to section –
12)
>This Act may be called the Child Marriage Restraint Act, (1929).
>It extends to the whole of India (except the State of Jammu and Kashmir)
>and it applies also to all citizen of India without and beyond India.
>It shall come into force on the 1st day of April, 1930.
14. Law on Child Marriage in India
🎤It is popularly known as the Sharda Act, after its
sponsor Harbilas Sharda.
Child marriage is prohibited in India as per the Prohibition
of Child Marriage Act, 2006.
15. Schemes for women and child girl👩🔧
⚙️Beti Bachao Beti Padao ( 2015)
⚙️Sukanya Samiridi Scheme ( 2015)
⚙️Lado Campaign. ( 2013)
⚙️ Mukhya Mantri Mahila
SashaktikaranYojana (2018)
16. Impacts on the SDGs
🎯Goal 1 – No Poverty
🎯Goal 2- Zero hunger
🎯Goal 3- Good health and wellbeing
🎯Goal 4 – Inclusive and quality education
🎯Goal 5 – Gender equality
🎯Goal 8 – Economic growth
🎯Goal 10- Reduce Inequalities
🎯Goal 16 – Peace, justice and strong institutions
🎯Goal 17 – Partners for the goals
20. Child Marriage Numbers on the Rise
During the COVID 19 Pandemic
Govt intervened to stop over 5,584 child Marriage during coronavirus
The CHILDLINE India Foundation (CFI) Which is the nodal agency of the
Union Ministry of Women and Child Development responsible for the setting
up, managing and monitoring CHILDLINE1098SERVICES all over the country
The CHILDLINE Foundation itself had given out reports on the increased
number of child marriage .
21. Role of social workers
Social workers are supporters and facilitators for the
community, which must lead itself and learn and grow in
confidence.
the role of social workers empowering people and
facilitating social transformation
As part of this global programme , we can work with governments of
countries with a high prevalence of child marriage to uphold the rights
of adolescent girls, so that girls can reach their potential and countries
can attain their social and economic development goals.”
With the involvement of families, communities, governments and
young people, the initiative can focus on proven strategies, including
increasing girls’ access to education and health care services,
educating parents and communities on the dangers of child marriage,
increasing economic support to families, and strengthening and
enforcing laws that establish 18 as the minimum age of marriage.
22. Impacts on the SDGs
🎯Goal 1 – No Poverty
🎯Goal 2- Zero hunger
🎯Goal 3- Good health and wellbeing
🎯Goal 4 – Inclusive and quality education
🎯Goal 5 – Gender equality
🎯Goal 8 – Economic growth
🎯Goal 10- Reduce Inequalities
🎯Goal 16 – Peace, justice and strong institutions
🎯Goal 17 – Partners for the goals
23. News on child marriage
Govt intervened to stop over 5,584 child marriage during coronavirus-induced
lockdown https://t.co/WIP87p3xtu
— The Times Of India (@timesofindia) June 27, 2020 https://t.co/CtfmnoV3uD
After the COVID-19 pandemic brought industry to a halt and shut schools in March, activists and
officials observed an unexpected trend: child marriages were on the
rise.#India #COVID19 #childmarriages— NanNan (@Karen49434003) August 16, 2020
Girls are being forced into child marriage as a means of economic survival for families amid
coronavirus.https://t.co/YSTUUyj7HZ — scroll.in (@scroll_in) September 10, 2020
#Column | There has been a surge in child marriage, a side-effect of the pandemic. But to reduce
child marriage at any time, expand opportunities in education and work, rather than increase
minimum age of marriage.
(writes @namitabhandare) https://t.co/UsXOuUm5Ia
— Hindustan Times (@htTweets) September 4, 2020
5)The surge in child marriage during the pandemic is worrying but the solution is not to raise age of
marriage but increase access to education and employment.
— Namita Bhandare (@namitabhandare) September 5, 2020
24. Way Forward
Education should be made free and compulsory until the age of 21.
⚙️Right to Education Act ---
🎤Awareness about the Evils of child marriage at the graas root level.
⚙️ Religious leaders and Community leaders ---
🎤Secondary School completion must be made a fundamental Right.
⚙️ literacy rate can increase –
🎤The girl from poor households must be provided with Residential
secondary schools.
🎤The girls must be empowered with information , Skills and support Networks
25. Way forward
🎤 Necessary economic aid and incentives should be Provided for the girl child
to be empowered.
🎤Married adolescents girls must be supported at the community level.
🎤Women must be trained and Educated so that They can become the part of
the Political decision making activities of the communities.
26. Beating around the bush
🎤 Focus should be on Root Causes of Child Marriage.
Independence Day speech on August 15, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced
that the government will raise the age of Marriage for women from 18 to 21.
The government believes this change will empower Girls and young women.
This change would increase their access to Education and improve the infant morality
rate (IMR) and maternal mortality rate (MMR)
National Working Group published a report on July 25 ,2020, The report , which
surveyed about 2,500 adolescents across 15 States, says- increasing the age of
marriage will either harm; or have no impact by itself unless the root causes of
women’s Dis-Empowerment are addressed.
The national Family Health Survey (2015-2016), 26.8% of women between ages
20-24 were married before the age of 18, despite the 1978 law making child
marriage for girls below 18 and boys below 21 illegal.
27. Increasing the marriable age is not
Right solution-it would harm
Female foeticide will increase.
How would child marriages be stopped if the age is increased even more ?
When a girl is born, parents immediately start thinking about her marriage.
How , in such a situation, can the marriable age be increased ?
Parents can use the law to punish elopement right up to 21 years.
Girls will continue to be pushed into early marriage because of Poverty,
there is no opportunity for them outside it and during Covid -19 with a
greater number of families being pushed into poverty, More girls are getting
married. But these marriages do not have legal validity, which means they
can not exercise their legal marriage Rights.
28. “
”
Empower young Girls in
India
“ If the girl’s surroundings infrastructure does not support her education,
If new jobs for her do not sprout up in her vicinity and simply the age of
marriage were to change, even the level of her nutrition would not change
much. But if a nutrition plan were to be implemented, her Poverty levels
would improve.”
> A lot needs to be done to empower young girls in India , and simply
changing the marriageable age won’t FIX anything.
29. Movies on Girl child Marriages
Ujeli – 1992 - A child bride in Nepal.- Produced by UNICEF
Beti – short movie
Child Marriage – 2005 – American film documentary
Moonlight Dreams – West Bengal Based story -2020.
Child mother – Documentary -2016 young children born in Jewish,
Yemen Morocco.
Khushboo – 1975
Highway – child sexual abuse
Syria : Bride for sale- 2013
Lajja – how girls burden on society.
