Even though there is a strong effort from the government level to end the practice of child marriage in the country, it does not seem to be getting much success.
Child Marriage: Even though there is a strong effort from the government level to end the evil practice of child marriage in the country, it does not seem to be getting much success. In the last few years, a shocking fact has been revealed that one in five girls and one in six boys have been subjected to child marriage across the country. This shocking fact has emerged from a report published in the journal ‘The Lancet Global Health’.
Generally speaking, the period from 2016 to 2021 shows that the practice of child marriage is well entrenched in many states and Union Territories. Child marriage of girls has increased in six states including Manipur, Punjab, Tripura and West Bengal while child marriage of boys has increased in eight other states including Chhattisgarh, Goa, Manipur and Punjab.
When the researchers analyzed the data collected from the National Family Health Survey conducted in five phases (1993 to 2021), this shocking fact came to light. Scholars from Harvard University also participated in this research. If we consider the statistics at the national level, it can be seen that the rate of child marriage has decreased, these researchers say.
There is no end to abuse
The rate of child marriage of girls seems to have decreased at the national level. It was 49 percent in 1993, down to 22 percent in 2021. It is seen that the child marriage rate of children was 7 percent in 2006 and it has come down to 2 percent in 2021. Between 2006 and 2016, the number of child marriages seems to have decreased. Even though this number seems to have decreased, the evil practice of child marriage has not ended. Later this ratio seems to have increased further.
Gender Equality Award from UN
Gender equality has been advocated as per the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations, with the goal of empowering children and women by 2030.
It is determined to completely eliminate the evil practices of child marriage, early marriage and forced marriage, along with the forced marriage of women. According to the statistics released by the United Nations in 2022, it was seen that one out of five young women around the world was married as a child.
States need cooperation
Although planned by the Centre, the practice will not end unless it gets full cooperation from the states, say experts. For this, he gave the example of Uttar Pradesh, where the rate of child marriage has reduced significantly, but states like West Bengal seem to be stumbling on this front. Because they are constantly fighting with the Centre.
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