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Recently, we spoke to our friends over at Breakthrough India to understand the problem of child/early marriage in India and how we could work towards ending this societal evil. Here’s the discussion that followed:

Child marriages or early marriages – what is the correct term?

Colloquially, we have always understood this issue to be termed as ‘child marriages’. But does this term represent all nuances involved in this problem? Breakthrough India explains why we should call it early marriages and not child marriages:

The term “early” frequently overlaps with “child” marriage in policies, programs and other documentation. We believe that just saying ‘child’ marriage doesn’t cover the true extent of the issue. (1/4)

— Breakthrough India (@INBreakthrough) October 11, 2020

It can disregard adolescence (15 – 18 years) as a critical time where such marriages occur and also ‘early’ broadens the scope with regard to the age at which marriage is culturally or legally acceptable. (2/4)

— Breakthrough India (@INBreakthrough) October 11, 2020

The difference between what is an acceptable legal age for women and for men are gendered and closely linked to the control of girls’ sexuality, the reinforcement of stereotypes or traditional notions about women’s gender roles. (3/4)

— Breakthrough India (@INBreakthrough) October 11, 2020

The definition of early therefore might also include girls’ own aspirations and situations. (4/4)

— Breakthrough India (@INBreakthrough) October 11, 2020

Impact of early marriages

Early marriages have a long term effect on the families as well as the child bride and groom. Breakthrough India explains how:

Early marriage has a deeply negative impact for children, especially girls. For girls, they are forced to drop out of schools and this affects not only future livelihood opportunities, but also aspiration and agency. (1/3)

— Breakthrough India (@INBreakthrough) October 11, 2020

They are thrust into homes where they have little to no say in their relationships and the power dynamic is tilted against them. They face violence across the spectrum and the burden of household work falls on them. (2/3)

— Breakthrough India (@INBreakthrough) October 11, 2020

We already know that women do the lion's share of domestic work – in a report last year, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights said that around 40% of 15 -18 year old girls were out of school and among them almost 65 % were engaged in household work. (3/3)

— Breakthrough India (@INBreakthrough) October 11, 2020

Raising legal marriageable age for girls from 18 to 21

This year, it was announced that the age of marriage for girls would be revised from 18 to 21. Is that an effective strategy to combat early marriage?

The issue of early marriage isn't a simple matter of merely looking at the age – it's complex and multi-faceted. Without addressing underlying norms and the mindset which allows early marriage to exist, merely increasing the age will not lead to any tangible change. (1/6)

— Breakthrough India (@INBreakthrough) October 11, 2020

Our third question for the tweet chat on #InternationalDayoftheGirl

Q.3 This year, it was announced that the age of marriage for girls would be revised from 18 to 21. Is that an effective strategy to combat early marriage?#NyaayaSpeaks with @INBreakthrough pic.twitter.com/N0vxi1LAQ8

— Nyaaya (@NyaayaIN) October 11, 2020

The change in the law also has implications for various other issues around girls' lives and agency. With the increase in age of marriage, how does it impact the age of consent, especially for women and girls? (3/6)

— Breakthrough India (@INBreakthrough) October 11, 2020

How can we work on preventing and reducing early marriages

As discussed earlier, the law isn't enough to curb early marriages. It is important that we first identify this as a critical issue. It's important to address this not only through a legal framework, but also understand it as a socio-structural issue. (1/3)

— Breakthrough India (@INBreakthrough) October 11, 2020

As @urvashigandhi talked about in her article, the data from our baseline research in the state of UP done in 2015 shows that a majority (>80%) of the respondents from families and communities were aware of the legal age of marriage for girls being 18 years, but.. (2/4)

— Breakthrough India (@INBreakthrough) October 11, 2020

…they still would tend to look for a suitable match and be assured that they have done their duty even if the girl had not reached 18 but “looked” adult enough to marry off. (3/4)

— Breakthrough India (@INBreakthrough) October 11, 2020

We absolutely need to address this issue from the ground up – with working on changing gender and social norms around the issue. (4/4)

— Breakthrough India (@INBreakthrough) October 11, 2020

Spike in Child Marriage during COVID19 lockdowns

Many reports from around the globe have confirmed that one of the major side effects of the lockdown was an increase in early marriages. Breakthrough India discusses how the same can be addressed:

This spike in early marriages is not something new or even unprecedented. In fact, in April this year a UN report had warned that COVID-19 pandemic could lead to an extra 13 million child marriages over the next decade. (1/4)

— Breakthrough India (@INBreakthrough) October 11, 2020

And we have precedence for this. According to UNICEF, school closures during the 2014-16 Ebola outbreak in West Africa contributed to spikes in child labour, neglect, sexual abuse and teenage pregnancies. (2/4)

— Breakthrough India (@INBreakthrough) October 11, 2020

With any kind of economic downturn, the loss of household income and protracted school closures places adolescent girls at an increased risk of being married off early. (3/4)

— Breakthrough India (@INBreakthrough) October 11, 2020

We need greater preparedness and a better response mechanism from the state, because this will happen again and again unless we address this issue from the root. (4/4)

— Breakthrough India (@INBreakthrough) October 11, 2020

Law on early/child marraiges

The law that makes this practice of early/child marriages illegal is the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006. To know more about this law, read this simple explainer on child marriages. If you have more questions on this law, Ask Nyaaya.