Though Covid-19 pandemic brought with it many side-effects, which shook the entire world, surge in child marriage in India is one of the unanticipated ones. As per an NGO, known as Childline India, thousands of child marriages were either solemnised or were about to between March and May. The organisation intervened in 5,333 such marriages. The number of such marriages steeped because of a nation-wide lockdown, which stopped all events and movements. When the lockdown eased in June and July, child marriages spiked, marking a 17 per cent increase over the previous year.
There is a strong correlation between Covid-19 and child marriage. Due to the pandemics schools and mid-day meals were shut and families, facing economic distress, were forced to offload what they consider their ‘burden’. As a result, adolescent girls are at a higher risk of child marriage. If already married, they are being forced to move to their marital home earlier than planned.
The government, in a parallel development, has set up a taskforce to consider increasing the legal age of marriage for girls at par with boys—from 18 to 21. This will not only improve maternal and child health outcomes, it will also result in fall in domestic violence because a mature and educated women is aware of her rights. Though there are some contradictory opinions also, which say that maternal and child health outcomes are determined by economic status, not just by age. A 16-year-old with good nutrition will have a healthier baby than a girl of the same age from a marginalised background.
There is yet another different view that increasing the age limit would criminalise the poorest girls and their families. As per the existing law, about 65 per cent of cases are filed by parents against daughters who choose their own partners, because the law enforces parental and community control over them, says Madhu Mehra, executive director of Partners in Law and Development. If child marriages are stopped, the move will increase access to education, opportunities for employment, and learning to listen to girls’ aspirations.
Courtesy: Hindusatn Times, Wikipedia