“27% of girls in India are married before their 18th birthday.”
Child marriage is defined by UNICEF as "any formal marriage or informal union between a child under the age of 18 and an adult or another child." This practice emerged centuries ago, spreading the idealogy that women are destined for a confined and isolated lifestyle as a mother and wives while men are the breadwinners of the household. Research estimates that in India, around 1.5 million girls are victims of this practice, not only does it cause them to lose their childhood, but also girls become more susceptible to domestic violence and fatal pregnancies when married off young. this article covers the background of child marriage, why it's such a prominent practice in Indian society today, incentives to promote this practice, and what the government is doing to combat this controversial tradition.
It is believed that child marriage first originated in India an estimated 1000+ years ago. It was a practice developed for numerous reasons with the first one being the invasions of Muslims in India which spanned many centuries. It was believed that people of Muslim descent used to rape and take advantage of unmarried Hindu girls which imposed direct threats on their safety and wellbeing. Child marriage was a way to marry off girls at a young age to ensure they were well-protected and safeguarded against these threats. Furthermore, many Indian sacred scriptures, although outdated, cite child marriage as a welcomed practice. According to the Dham Sutras, a girl is eligible for marriage only after attaining her menstrual cycle which can be as young as 8 for precocious girls. Furthermore, according to the Medhatithi’s Bhashya, a book written on abiding by the laws of Dharma ( Dharma are sets of rules that define the way Hindus live ), a meager 8 years is the suitable age for brides. The sole idea of child marriage has been engraved in sacred literature and followed for centuries, creating a practice that has been around for centuries.
Child marriage is often extremely common due to society's prejudice towards men. Women are often seen as a burden with the inability to become a supporting figure in their family. Marrying off a daughter is seen as a way of getting rid of financial burdens that they would otherwise impose on you. Considering India is an LEDC and has areas of extreme poverty, this practice is an efficient way to conserve money in large financially unstable families. Child marriage is also a thriving practice due to dowry. Dowry is a sum of money or property that the girl's family gifts the groom's family in exchange for taking their daughter. It is said, the younger and more illiterate a girl is, the less dowry her family has to pay, putting them under less financial hardships during the wedding period.
Along with disregarding a girl's right to education and choosing her spouse, child marriage has many unfavorable consequences that leave lasting impacts. The girl may be required to take part in intercourse even though she is not physically or mentally prepared for this responsibility. Not only can this cause an unwanted and early pregnancy but childbirth cases like these can be fatal at times and endanger her safety. Likewise, young girls are not qualified to raise a family creating an inadequate environment for children to live in. Children will often be living in rural, poverty-stricken areas and not have access to proper nutrition and quality education. This constructs a poverty cycle, leaving young women unable to fend for themselves and improve their quality of life.
Acknowledging the government is putting in efforts is also a crucial aspect of this issue. In 1929, the first major court case ( Sushila Gothala v State of Rajasthan ) was won altering the minimum age for marriage to 18 for girls and 21 for men. This prohibited the act of child marriage thus enhancing opportunities for girls to get an education and earn a degree rather than doing chores all day. Furthermore, the Prohibition of child marriage act in 2006 created regulations to prevent child marriage as well as punish offenders that are involved in acts of child marriage. This act had a marriage nullity which allows underage marriage to cease on all records and also allows for imprisonment time depending on the scenario. This act is crucial in aiding the protection of women as well as informing citizens about the negative consequences of child marriage.
Child marriage is an extremely prominent topic in today's society and has only very recently been disregarded as an accepted practice. It is important to recognize that while the rates of these practices are decreasing, they still exist and still impact millions of young women worldwide. Only when women are regarded as educated and literate can they be treated with the education they deserve and escape this cycle of underage marriage that has tormented humanity for so long.
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