Haq's Musings: Child marriage

Monday, June 21, 2010

India Leads the World in Child Marriages

Over 40% of all child marriages in the world take place in India, making it the child marriage capital of the world. Nearly half of all the Indian marriages involve a child bride, ranking it at number 11 among 68 nations where child marriages are reported. Child marriages account for nearly a quarter of all marriages in Pakistan, according to UNICEF.

Earlier this year, the Hindu newspaper reported on an Indian study, prepared by the Population Council of India, which concluded that child marriage continues to be rampant in India with nearly one-fifth of Indian women being married off before turning 15 and around 50 per cent before reaching the legal marriageable age.

In April 2007, the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) published the results of a study on child marriage in the world, "New Insights on Preventing Child Marriage: A Global Analysis of Factors and Programs" (pdf). The ranking included 68 countries. Topping the list was Niger, where 76.6% of women were found to have married before age 18, followed by Chad, at 71.5%. The proportion of child brides was above 60% in Bangladesh, Mali and Guinea, and above 50% in Nepal, Mozambique, Uganda, Burkina Faso and India. Pakistan, with 31.6% child marriages reported in 1991-92, is ranked at 32 in the middle of this list of 68 nations.

According to UNICEF, 47% of all Indian marriages from 2000-2008 were child marriages. Data collected from 2005 to 2006 by India's national family health survey revealed that 22.6 percent were married before they were 16, 44.5 percent were married when they were between 16 and 17, and 2.6 percent were married before they turned 13.

There are many socio-economic factors that play a role in the early marriage of girls in India. Widespread poverty is one of the major factors responsible for early marriage. The practice disproportionately affects little girls who are seen as an economic burden by their parents. A baby girl's marriage to a much older man is often a family survival strategy, and may even be seen as being in her best interest.

The child marriages take a severe toll on the little brides' lives. They are often abused by their husbands and in-laws. And they have more health problem on average than the rest of the female population. They are at greater risk of HIV infections, STDs and unwanted pregnancies and childbirth complications. "Women who were married as children remained significantly more likely to have had three or more childbirths, a repeat childbirth in less than 24 months, multiple unwanted pregnancies, pregnancy termination, and sterilization," wrote the researchers, led by Anita Raj at the Boston University School of Public Health. Raj also reported that infants and children in India born to mothers married as minors are more likely to suffer from malnutrition than those born to adult women.

Most of the problems affecting women in India have their roots in gender bias and the low social status given to them. While it is important to pass and ENFORCE legislation to stop the practice of female infanticide, bride burning and child marriages, what is required is a serious campaign to educate and incentivize the people to change their social attitudes.

Here's a video clip of a report on rampant girl child abuse in India: