Women’s Rights in India Child Brides

Despite the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act in 2006 (with penalties for conducting marriage ceremonies and making marriages open to annulment by either spouse, the legal age (18 for women, 21 for men) is widely disregarded in practice.

It is estimated that 47% of girls are married before their 18th birthday. Rates of child marriage vary between states and are as high as 69% and 65% in Bihar and Rajasthan. While fewer Indian girls are marrying before the age of 15 (by 30% 2000 to 2011), rates of marriage have increased for girls between ages 15 to 18.

'I was playing outside and my mum called me inside to the house,' she remembers of the day her world changed forever. 'She said "you're going to marry". I was surprised and I cried but I didn't say anything to them [her parents].' Her wedding, to a boy of 16, took place just two months later.

Causes Patriarchy, class and caste influence the norms and expectations around the role of women and girls in India. Restrictive norms: girls are first seen as the property of her father and then of her husband. Girls are seen as an economic burden and marriage transfers the responsibility to her new husband. In moments of unbearable financial or social distress families resort to marrying their daughters off. Marriage expenses such as dowry may lead a family to marry off their daughter at a young age to the cost.

Ignorance of age: Because of illiteracy, home birthing and lack of awareness, birthdates are rarely recorded or are often inaccurate. Puberty is widely considered to be the onset of fertility and therefore eligibility for marriage. Controlling girls and women’s sexuality is an influential factor. Pressure towards early marriage aims to minimise the dishonour associated with improper female sexual conduct, often leading to marriages arranged around the time of puberty.

Rates of child marriage and illiteracy in India Poor educational opportunities, especially in rural areas, also increase girls’ vulnerability to child marriage.

CONSEQUENCES Murder and disfigurement by burning if the family cannot meet the demands for the dowry by the husband. Honour killings. Domestic abuse and sexual violence. Marriage is often used to obtain property and/or land. Poor maternal health and high MMR due to limited access to reproductive health, education and high levels of poverty in rural areas. Subjected to sex-selective abortions in patriarchal society. High dependency on husbands due to limited educational and economic opportunities.

Evidence of changing social norms These problems are as a result of deeply entrenched gender-based norms which favour men – but they are slowly changing due to intervention by strengthening the rule of law; increasing number of laws and treaties and by the work of NGO’s in local communities; improving education and the influence of high profile cases in the media. Watch this clip.

RESPONSEs

A National Action Plan to prevent child marriages drafted by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. Dowries made illegal. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2016/feb/03/india-anti-dowry-films-i-paid-the-price-i-own-your-son-brides-fight-back Cash incentives schemes e.g. Apni beti apna dhun programme ‘Our Daughter, Our Wealth.’ Adolescents’ empowerment programmes e.g. Sabla to induce behaviour change through awareness-raising. http://wcd.nic.in/BBBPScheme/main.htm India is a member of the South Asian Initiative to End Violence Against Children (SAIEVAC), which adopted a regional action plan to end child marriage. India is one of 12 countries selected to be part of UNFPA and UNICEF’s Global Programme to Accelerate Action to End Child Marriage. (Global governance). India is a committee meber of CEDAW

Produce a case study on gender inequality in India Produce a case study on gender inequality in India. You must cover the following: Also include the causes of these entrenched views and attitudes to women in India