Child, early and forced marriage is a human rights violation that denies a girl the opportunity of growing up to her full potential.
When a girl is married young, it puts her behind in attaining education, healthcare, and financial independence, which create lifelong disparities. Child marriage often results in school dropout, thus depriving the girl a fair chance of fulfilling her educational and career aspirations. With incomplete education and poor agency, she gets economically dependent of her spouse. It also increases her vulnerabilities for domestic abuse, intimate partner violence, unintended pregnancies and poor health.
Fulfilment of educational attainment – higher chances of girl attaining complete education, with reduced risk of school dropout or discontinuation of studies.
Increased financial independence – improves the future earning capacity, hence lesser dependence on in-laws/husbands.
Better maternal and child health – Educated girls tend to plan their pregnancies better, and practise health-seeking bahaviour during ante-natal and post-natal care.
Reduced chances of early & teen pregnancy and health complications associated with them.
Reduced vulnerabilities of domestic abuse, and intimate partner violence.
Improved agency – Educated girl with economic independence tends to be an independent decision-maker, can set goals for herself & her family and act on them.
There are still over 650 million girls and women in the world who were married before attaining 18 years of age. In fact, one in three of the world’s child brides live in India.
These dangerous outcomes have raised collective concerns among the global community towards ending child marriage. The Sustainable Development Goal 5 on Gender Equality is committed to the elimination of child marriage by 2030.
