Earlier this year, UNICEF had released a report stating that the number of girls getting married in India had halved. Despite this drop, nearly 1.5 million girls in India get married before they turn 18. Child marriage remains a social evil that India has seemingly had a hard time eradicating.
The legal age of marriage in India is 18 for women and 21 for men. Last year the Supreme Court ruled that sex with an underage wife constituted rape.
Despite all the recent conversation about protecting our young girls following the horrific gangrape and murder of an eight-year-old in Kathua, certain influential politicians and lawmakers in Madhya Pradesh continue to condone and support such the pernicious practice of child marriage. https://www.thebetterindia.com/138496/india-child-brides-marriage-law-posco/
Child marriage widespread in Bihar, Rajasthan and Bengal: Unicef report
Although child marriages in India have declined, a few states like Bihar, West Bengal and Rajasthan continue to carry on with the harmful practice and there is nearly 40 per cent prevalence in these states, the Unicef said.
A new report ‘Factsheet Child Marriages 2019’ released by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef) late on Monday stated that while in Tamil Nadu and Kerala child marriage prevalence was below 20 per cent, they were pockets of disparity concentrated in tribal communities and amongst particular castes, including the Scheduled Castes. https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/child-marriages-widespread-in-bihar-rajasthan-and-bengal-unicef-report-1454035-2019-02-12
Bengal Tops In Child Marriages: Family Health Survey Report
In a decade since the last National Family Health Survey took place, the whole story of child marriages have changed in India. And while some states, including Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, showed exceptional growth, a total of 11 states still have a significant percentage of child marriages happening, which are above the current national average of 11.9%. The latest NFHS-4 report — conducted in 2015-16 — revealed that West Bengal tops the list of states having the most number of girls being married off between 15-19 years of age at 25.6%. https://www.shethepeople.tv/news/bengal-tops-child-marriage/
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