Attenuating Child Marriage: A big Challenge




Child Marriage defines the marriage of a boy and a girl before the age of 18. Child Marriage not only weakens a girl's life but also devastates the whole Social, Economical life of a Country.

 

Child Marriage ends the Childhood. The girls who get married earlier, She could not even continue her higher studies. That’s a big reason, a large section of girls or even boys left behind illiterate.

As per a report of the National Commission for protection of Child Rights, The average age of women with no schooling is 17.6, and it is comparatively lower than those Women who are educated(40%). This shows that an educated woman couldn’t continue her further studies due to Family, and harmful social practices of society.

Childhood Marriage increases High Mortality rate  and Societal ignorance towards Women

To get married at In early age, There are high chances that she can infect with HIV/AIDS. Despite Childhood age, She Conceives too early, and that becomes the reason for High Mortality and Infant Mortality rate.

A girl Ismorahan Khatoon says that at the age of 14, she forcefully gets married, her family stopped her education, She had been dominated Physically, Mentally and Economically. She says her Mother- n- law abused her and threatened that she will be divorced by her husband.

This incident shows the unfair perspective of society and Family towards a Women.

UNESCO Research and Family Perspective

As per UNESCO research; Mostly Parents don't let her daughter study because as per their concern, after 25 no one will marry their daughter. Also, they cannot afford the expense of her education.

Reports show that an literate girl empowers others including postponing her Marriage before a legal age or until she becomes self-financial independent.

Solutions

 

(a)         UNICEF is working with the government to attenuate Child Marriage by introducing ‘Scale-up-Strategy'.

Here, UNICEF increases the adolescent endorsement with the government to work on the ground level.

(b)          Government must do work with Panchayats and NGOs to provide incentives till Post Graduation

(c)          Eliminate all harmful practices like forced Marriage, Societal threatens and female genital mutilation.