What India must learn from Bangladesh’s attempts to reform child marriage law
2 years, 4 months ago

What India must learn from Bangladesh’s attempts to reform child marriage law

Hindustan Times  

The Bill has been brought forward on the assumption that raising the legal age will eradicate the practice of child marriage. The research project sought to determine how knowledge of the law changed behaviours and attitudes towards child marriage in rural areas of Bangladesh. The study found that providing individuals with information about a new law did impact individuals’ attitudes and preferences regarding child marriage but in unexpected ways. If a marriage age of 21 for women is viewed as “too remote” from the preferences and norms of many Indian citizens, the law may generate a similar backlash, as customary authorities in rural areas revert to a more traditional position in response to the change in the law. Therefore, we need to invest further in girls’ education, in initiatives that empower women economically, and in social and behaviour change communication aimed at changing attitudes towards child marriage in areas where the practice remains entrenched.

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History of this topic

Child marriage free India campaign: Minister Annapurna Devi launches portal
3 weeks, 5 days ago

Child marriage free India campaign: Minister Annapurna Devi launches portal

Hindustan Times  

Union women and child development minister Annapurna Devi on Wednesday launched the “Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat Campaign” or child marriage free India campaign portal “to help girls achieve their potential” by checking practices such as child marriages. The next stage is to pave the path for her to achieve all her dreams, and not let practices such as child marriage …

State government announces ₹50,000 reward to gram panchayats that prevent child marriages
1 month, 2 weeks ago

State government announces ₹50,000 reward to gram panchayats that prevent child marriages

The Hindu  

To combat child marriage at the grassroots level, the State government has announced a reward of ₹50,000 for gram panchayats that either fully eliminate or significantly reduce child marriage cases. These officers will collaborate with government departments and Non-Governmental Organizations to prevent child marriages. Bidar district reported zero child marriages, with all 29 complaints from April to September 2024 successfully …

Supreme Court's Judgment on Child Marriage: A Violation of Fundamental Constitutional Rights
2 months ago

Supreme Court's Judgment on Child Marriage: A Violation of Fundamental Constitutional Rights

Live Law  

The Supreme Court has issued guidelines to prevent child marriages, stating that child marriages violate the rights to self-determination, choice, autonomy, sexuality, health and education of children. The Court noted that child marriages impose mature burdens on children who are not physically or mentally prepared to comprehend the significance of marriage. When women are forced into marriages to protect their …

Teacher, activists prevent child marriage in Kolkata
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Teacher, activists prevent child marriage in Kolkata

The Hindu  

Sujaya Roychowdhury Pal, a teacher in charge of a State-run girls’ school in Kolkata, could not be any happier on Teachers’ Day when she found that one of her students was participating in the celebrations on Thursday. BITAN is one of the NGOs working across India as part of the Child Marriage Free India campaign. The campaign uses awareness, counselling …

What does Himachal Pradesh’s Bill raising women’s minimum marriage age entail? | Explained
3 months, 3 weeks ago

What does Himachal Pradesh’s Bill raising women’s minimum marriage age entail? | Explained

The Hindu  

The Himachal Pradesh Assembly on Tuesday passed a Bill raising the minimum marriageable age for women from 18 to 21 years. Thus, it is proposed to amend the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 and other related Acts in their application to the State of Himachal Pradesh and increase the minimum age for marriage for girls to 21 years,” the …

What’s The New Minimum Age Of Marriage For Women In Himachal Pradesh? Is It Applicable To All? Bill Explained
3 months, 3 weeks ago

What’s The New Minimum Age Of Marriage For Women In Himachal Pradesh? Is It Applicable To All? Bill Explained

News 18  

The Himachal Pradesh Assembly has passed a bill that increases the minimum age of marriage for women from 18 to 21 years in order to support gender equality and higher education. Thus, it is proposed to amend the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 and other related Acts in their application to the State of Himachal Pradesh and increase the …

Assam model helps slash child marriage by 81%: Report
5 months ago

Assam model helps slash child marriage by 81%: Report

The Hindu  

GUWAHATI The Assam government’s emphasis on legal intervention in child marriage cases is now a proven model for the rest of the country to follow, a report released on World Day for International Justice on July 17 said. The report titled ‘Towards Justice: Ending Child Marriage’ by India Child Protection said Assam’s legal strategy helped slash child marriages in the …

Marriage, a chaotic construct!
6 months, 3 weeks ago

Marriage, a chaotic construct!

New Indian Express  

Critiques of marriage as an institution occur within a world in which the institution holds all kinds of power, which is why people who are critical of it may get married anyway. Pragmatically speaking, being legally married may be the best if not only way to ensure that one’s partner’s role in one’s life — or one’s role in their …

For an Akshaya Tritiya without child marriages
7 months, 2 weeks ago

For an Akshaya Tritiya without child marriages

New Indian Express  

In early April 2024, the world woke up to the disturbing news of a 62-year-old high priest in Ghana marrying a 12-year-old girl at an event attended by many community members. Closer home, while one in four girls in India are married below the legal age, in 257 high-prevalence districts of the country the incidence of child marriage is more …

Analysing India’s progress towards the elimination of child marriages
10 months ago

Analysing India’s progress towards the elimination of child marriages

Hindustan Times  

India has made remarkable strides in the decline of child marriages over the last few decades and has led global progress to eliminate the practice. There is also a discrepancy in reported numbers, where despite high prevalence of child marriages recorded under NFHS-V, National Crime Records Bureau’s annual ‘Crime in India’ report recorded an average of only around 360 incidents …

Why is child marriage still high in West Bengal? | Explained
11 months, 2 weeks ago

Why is child marriage still high in West Bengal? | Explained

The Hindu  

The story so far: A recent study on child marriage in India published in the Lancet noted the overall decrease in child marriage across the country but pointed out that four States, mainly Bihar, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra accounted for more than half of the total headcount burden of child marriages in girls. The publication states that while …

Unending saga of Chittoor’s child brides
1 year, 2 months ago

Unending saga of Chittoor’s child brides

The Hindu  

In the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the parents of a 13-year-old girl in a remote village of Bangarupalem mandal in Andhra Pradesh’s Chittoor district frantically searched for medical help as the teen went into labour. Child marriage remains a harsh reality for over 100 forested villages in Bangarupalem, Palamaner, Gangavaram, Baireddipalle, V.Kota and Kuppam mandals in Chittoor …

14-Yr-Old Girl Married In Maha’s Thane Over Promise Of Gold, 1 Lakh Cash. Police Nab 5 Accused
1 year, 3 months ago

14-Yr-Old Girl Married In Maha’s Thane Over Promise Of Gold, 1 Lakh Cash. Police Nab 5 Accused

ABP News  

Five persons were arrested and three are at large in a child marriage case in Thane district in Maharashtra, news agency PTI reported citing a police official said on Saturday. The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act of 2006 outlaws child marriage and provides for its prevention as well as the protection of child brides. For solemnising a child marriage, the …

No government scheme benefits to those marrying below 18 in AP: CS
1 year, 4 months ago

No government scheme benefits to those marrying below 18 in AP: CS

Deccan Chronicle  

VIJAYAWADA: The benefits of government schemes will not be given to those who get married below the age of 18 in Andhra Pradesh. Jawahar Reddy said the government would take firm steps to prevent child marriages, for both boys and girls and create awareness among the people against underage marriages. According to the new rules, child marriage prohibition officers will …

Child Marriage in Assam: One Zakir Hussain Laskar arrested for marrying 12-year-old girl
1 year, 4 months ago

Child Marriage in Assam: One Zakir Hussain Laskar arrested for marrying 12-year-old girl

Op India  

Hailakandi police in Assam arrested a man on 27 July in a child marriage case which resulted in the liberation of a 15-year-old girl and an infant who is reported to be their son. Assam government’s crackdown on child marriages Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma reaffirmed his government’s commitment to eradicate child marriage by 2026, which has been a …

Marriage for all, even if for a few
1 year, 7 months ago

Marriage for all, even if for a few

The Hindu  

In a reality show, “Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives”, Sima Taparia of the series, “Indian Matchmaking”, was asked about the possibility of matching for queer couples. Even as season three of her show dropped, the Supreme Court began hearing the case for marriage equality within the ambit of the Special Marriage Act. If the court rules in favour of expanding …

CONTROVERSY | Assam government’s drive to end child marriage a ham-handed attempt
1 year, 10 months ago

CONTROVERSY | Assam government’s drive to end child marriage a ham-handed attempt

The Hindu  

Published : Feb 23, 2023 10:40 IST The Assam government’s recent drive to end child marriage entered its second week when this article went to press, with over 3,000 arrests made. Research shows that education and financial independence alone have raised the age of marriage, delayed first pregnancy, and reduced family size, thus reducing female mortality and morbidity.” Roop Sen, …

Why does child marriage continue to be an issue in India? | In Focus podcast
1 year, 10 months ago

Why does child marriage continue to be an issue in India? | In Focus podcast

The Hindu  

Earlier this month, Assam began a massive crackdown against child marriages in the State - so far, over 4,000 cases have been registered and over 3,000 people have been arrested. Assam has high rates of child marriage - while the all-India figure as per the latest National Family Health Survey was 23.3%, in Assam, the figure was 31.8 percent. The …

The battle against child marriage
1 year, 10 months ago

The battle against child marriage

The Hindu  

For the first time in more than two decades, a police team from the Ulukunchi outpost came asking questions at Birsingi, a village in Assam’s West Karbi Anglong district. Assam’s Director-General of Police, Gyanendra Pratap Singh, said the exercise was planned after the Chief Minister sought action against large-scale child marriages two months ago. Seeking the cooperation of the people …

Explained | Why is the Supreme Court examining marriage laws for minors?
1 year, 10 months ago

Explained | Why is the Supreme Court examining marriage laws for minors?

The Hindu  

The story so far: Earlier this month, the Supreme Court announced that it would examine whether minor girls, as young as 15 years, can marry on the basis of custom or personal law when such marriages are considered an offence in statutory law. On January 13, the Supreme Court said it would examine whether girls as young as 15 years …

Explained | How is India planning to end child marriage?
2 years, 1 month ago

Explained | How is India planning to end child marriage?

The Hindu  

The story so far: The steering committee of a global programme to end child marriage is on a visit to India to witness state interventions which have helped reduce the prevalence of child marriage. Eight States have a higher prevalence of child marriage than the national average — West Bengal, Bihar and Tripura top the list with more than 40% …

End the cycle of child marriages with empowerment, education and employment
2 years, 2 months ago

End the cycle of child marriages with empowerment, education and employment

Hindustan Times  

Eradicating child marriages and enabling girls to study longer and gainfully join the labour force is key to India’s future development, including its Covid-19 recovery, and overall economic transformation. India has made great strides in reducing child marriages and advancing women’s education and empowerment. The flagship programme of the Government of India, Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, has also helped address …

The way to end child marriage
2 years, 6 months ago

The way to end child marriage

The Hindu  

Since child marriage is rampant in India, will increasing the age of marriage of women solve this issue? Only 4% of child marriages in India take place among women who have completed more than 12 years of education. Thus, the data confirm that a significant proportion of child marriages takes place among women with less than 12 years of schooling …

Polygamy: Plea In Delhi High Court Seeks Muslim Men To Obtain Prior Consent From Existing Wife Before Subsequent Marriage, Notice Issued
2 years, 7 months ago

Polygamy: Plea In Delhi High Court Seeks Muslim Men To Obtain Prior Consent From Existing Wife Before Subsequent Marriage, Notice Issued

Live Law  

The Delhi High Court today issued notice on a public interest litigation filed by a 28 years old Muslim woman, seeking a declaration that Muslim men cannot perform second marriage, without prior consent of their first wife. In essence, the plea seeks to restrict the practice of Polygamy in Muslim men, stating that the same is a regressive practice, derogatory …

Parliament panel to examine Bill proposing marriage age change on Wednesday
2 years, 8 months ago

Parliament panel to examine Bill proposing marriage age change on Wednesday

Deccan Chronicle  

New Delhi: The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports would examine the Prohibition of Child Marriage Bill in its first meeting on April 13. The Prohibition of Child Marriage Bill, 2021 proposes to amend the existing law to bring parity at the minimum marriageable age for men and women. The Bill will also affect laws relating …

Increasing legal age of marriage to 21: Is it a boon or a bane for Indian women?
2 years, 9 months ago

Increasing legal age of marriage to 21: Is it a boon or a bane for Indian women?

Live Mint  

Mahima was married off a few days after she turned 16. However, in 1978, an amendment was passed under the Child Marriage Restraint Act to increase the marriageable age for girls to 18. Now, to bring women on equal footing with men, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government has decided to raise the legal age of marriage of women to …

Domestic violence and women’s health in India
2 years, 10 months ago

Domestic violence and women’s health in India

Hindustan Times  

Gender-based violence or violence against women and girls is regarded as a global pandemic that affects one in every three women across their lifetime. The 1993 United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women defines ‘gender-based violence’ as “an act that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual, or psychological harm or suffering to women, …

Parl panel that will examine bill to raise legal age of marriage has one woman member out of 31
2 years, 11 months ago

Parl panel that will examine bill to raise legal age of marriage has one woman member out of 31

India TV News  

Highlights Prohibition of Child Marriage Bill seeks to raise legal age of marriage for women to 21 TMC MP Sushmita Dev is the only woman among the 31 members These panels are constituted by both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha The parliamentary panel assigned to examine the landmark bill which seeks to raise the legal age of marriage for women …

The ideal age of marriage, according to neuroscience
2 years, 11 months ago

The ideal age of marriage, according to neuroscience

Live Mint  

The Prohibition of Child Marriage Bill, 2021, which seeks to raise the legal age of marriage for women in India from 18 to 21, has recently been introduced in Parliament by the government. Now, with the government’s decision to raise their marriage age to 21, the gap between a girl attaining puberty and getting married has widened a bit more. …

The Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill has a flawed notion of gender justice
2 years, 11 months ago

The Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill has a flawed notion of gender justice

The Hindu  

It has become a habit of sorts for the National Democratic Alliance government to usher in legislation that either no one wants or that defies logic. Therefore, there has been a steady increase in enrolment in higher education by women even when the legal age of marriage was set at 18. If 40.8 per cent women were married off before …

Is Amendment to Marriage Act a Precursor to Uniform Civil Code?
2 years, 11 months ago

Is Amendment to Marriage Act a Precursor to Uniform Civil Code?

News 18  

The Modi government has stoked yet another controversy by introducing the Prohibition of Child Marriage Bill, which seeks to raise the marriageable age of women to 21 years, making it uniform for both women and men. Since various Opposition parties, Muslim officials, and Muslim clerics have declared resistance to the notion, they say, the BJP in Uttar Pradesh will be …

Age and marriage, what the government says, what the laws prescribe
2 years, 11 months ago

Age and marriage, what the government says, what the laws prescribe

The Hindu  

December 26, 2021 11:00 am | Updated 11:02 am IST Will raising the marriage age for women empower them? That might sound possible at first glance, but seen against the backdrop of increasing social and state control over marriage, the proposed law may be disturbing. Raising the age of marriage and age of consent have both been considered as progressive …

Law to raise marriage age causes a flutter in western U.P.
2 years, 11 months ago

Law to raise marriage age causes a flutter in western U.P.

The Hindu  

The Prohibition of Child Marriage Bill, 2021, which seeks to increase the legal age of marriage for women from 18 to 21 years, has begun to show its socio-political impact in western Uttar Pradesh. Mr. Jaglan, who is known for advocating the “Selfie with daughter” initiative, has been holding such panchayats in Haryana and Rajasthan, and said it was the …

Raising Legal Marriage Age for Women is Not the Silver Bullet for India’s Child Marriage Problem
3 years ago

Raising Legal Marriage Age for Women is Not the Silver Bullet for India’s Child Marriage Problem

News 18  

The welcome move of change in minimum age of marriage in India has once again trained the focus on women and the shackles they have to face in the society. The age of marriage was addressed for the first time through the Child Marriage Restraint Act of 1929, also known as the Sarda Act, which finalised the minimum marriageable age …

Lok Sabha refers marriage bill to panel for further scrutiny
3 years ago

Lok Sabha refers marriage bill to panel for further scrutiny

Live Mint  

A bill seeking to bring legal marriageable age for women at par with that of men was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday amid massive protest by the opposition and was referred to a parliamentary panel for further scrutiny by the Lower House following a voice vote. Invoking different marriage laws of different faiths, I rise to introduce the …

Age and marriage: The Hindu Editorial on raising the age of marriage for women
3 years ago

Age and marriage: The Hindu Editorial on raising the age of marriage for women

The Hindu  

Good intent does not guarantee favourable outcomes. In her Budget speech last year, Finance Nirmala Sitharaman had announced that the Government would set up a task force to look into the age of a girl entering motherhood with an aim to lower maternal mortality rates, improve nutrition levels as well as ensure opportunities to women to pursue higher education and …

Raising Age of Marriage Uniformly is Welcome but… Writes Zakia Soman Who Led Battle against Triple Talaq
3 years ago

Raising Age of Marriage Uniformly is Welcome but… Writes Zakia Soman Who Led Battle against Triple Talaq

News 18  

The Union government has taken a decision to raise the legal age of marriage for women from 18 to 21 years. The government had appointed a committee headed by politician Jaya Jaitly to evaluate the feasibility of raising age of marriage and its implications on health and education opportunities for women and children. They also recommended other affirmative measures for …

Increasing Women's Minimum Age for Marriage: Will it Prevent Child Marriage?
3 years ago

Increasing Women's Minimum Age for Marriage: Will it Prevent Child Marriage?

The Quint  

India is still struggling to put an end to child marriages in the 21st century. But is raising the minimum legal age of marriage for women the solution? Ever since the Centre indicated its intention, to raise the minimum age of marriage for women from 18 to 21 years of age, there has been a lot of conversation around this …

'Modi govt acts like mohalla uncle': AIMIM chief Owaisi slams Centre's move to raise marriage age for women
3 years ago

'Modi govt acts like mohalla uncle': AIMIM chief Owaisi slams Centre's move to raise marriage age for women

India Today  

Lok Sabha MP Asaduddin Owaisi took to Twitter on Friday to criticise the central government’s move to raise the legal minimum age of marriage for women from 18 to 21 years. “Modi government acts like a mohalla uncle - deciding what we eat, who/when we marry, what God we worship, etc,” Asaduddin Owaisi, chief of the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen, …

Govt may table bill to raise women’s marriage age to 21
3 years ago

Govt may table bill to raise women’s marriage age to 21

Hindustan Times  

The Union government is planning to bring a bill to increase the minimum legal age of marriage for women from 18 to 21, people familiar with developments said, underlining a far-reaching decision that will require modification in faith-based personal laws dealing with marriage and inheritance. The Union government is planning to bring a bill to increase the minimum legal age …

Union Cabinet gives nod to raise women’s marriage age to 21
3 years ago

Union Cabinet gives nod to raise women’s marriage age to 21

The Hindu  

The Centre has decided to raise the legal age of marriage of women from 18 to 21 years and is likely to move legislative amendments in the ongoing winter session of Parliament. The Union Cabinet on Wednesday cleared a proposal to bring uniformity in the marriageable age of men and women, sources told news agency PTI on Thursday, adding that …

Rajasthan govt rolls back law after uproar over controversial child marriage clause
3 years, 2 months ago

Rajasthan govt rolls back law after uproar over controversial child marriage clause

India Today  

The Rajasthan government has rolled back the Rajasthan Compulsory Registrations of Marriage Amendment Bill, 2021, after it got embroiled in controversy for making it mandatory to register all marriages, including those of minors. OPPOSITION TO THE LAW The Opposition in Rajasthan accused the Congress government of opening “the floodgates” for child marriage in the state and giving “validation to what …

Patralekha Chatterjee | Child marriage law in Raj: Why is civil society quiet?
3 years, 3 months ago

Patralekha Chatterjee | Child marriage law in Raj: Why is civil society quiet?

Deccan Chronicle  

Does the registration of child marriages legitimise them? The context -- last week, the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government brought a new bill amending the Rajasthan Compulsory Registration of Marriages Act 2009, on the mandatory registration of marriages, including child marriages. It is more likely to set things back for girls.” Chhaya Pachauli, a health activist and director of Prayas, a …

NCRB Data Shows 50% Rise in Child Marriage Cases in 2020; Experts Say More Reporting May Be Factor
3 years, 3 months ago

NCRB Data Shows 50% Rise in Child Marriage Cases in 2020; Experts Say More Reporting May Be Factor

News 18  

About 50 per cent rise in the cases of child marriages has been recorded in 2020 over the previous year, according to the recent NCRB data, with experts saying it does not only mean there has been an increase in these instances but that there also has been a rise in reporting. According to the National Crime Records Bureau data …

About 50% rise in child marriage cases in 2020; experts say more reporting may be a factor
3 years, 3 months ago

About 50% rise in child marriage cases in 2020; experts say more reporting may be a factor

India Today  

About 50 per cent rise in the cases of child marriages has been recorded in 2020 over the previous year, according to the recent NCRB data, with experts saying it does not only mean there has been an increase in these instances but that there also has been a rise in reporting. According to the National Crime Records Bureau data …

Child marriage legalized? Bill passed in Rajasthan assembly amid uproar from opposition MLAs
3 years, 3 months ago

Child marriage legalized? Bill passed in Rajasthan assembly amid uproar from opposition MLAs

India TV News  

The Rajasthan Compulsory Registration of Marriages Bill, 2021 was passed in the State Legislative Assembly on Friday, as opposition MLAs kept objecting to it. The updated bill allegedly allows child marriages, as per several BJP MLAs. BJP MLA Ashok Lahoti described the bill as a 'black chapter' in the history of the state assembly. Meanwhile, the state's Parliamentary Affairs minister …

Elopements most prosecuted under child marriage law: Study
3 years, 4 months ago

Elopements most prosecuted under child marriage law: Study

The Hindu  

Legal proceedings against child marriages are commonly undertaken against elopements whereas forced child marriages often go unpunished, finds a new study. The report — “Child Marriage Prosecutions in India” — brought out by Partners for Law in Development, a Delhi-based legal resource group, analysed 83 high court and district court verdicts in cases relating to child marriage from 2008 and …

Crime pushing underage marriage of girls
3 years, 9 months ago

Crime pushing underage marriage of girls

Live Mint  

Underage marriages continue in several parts of India despite the laws against them. This reason gets clearer from a new study, which finds that underage marriages of daughters are more likely in localities where crimes against women are perceived to be higher. The study finds that a family’s decision to marry a daughter underage is influenced majorly by local crimes …

Child Marriage And Muslim Personal Law In India
3 years, 9 months ago

Child Marriage And Muslim Personal Law In India

Live Law  

Recently, the High Court of Punjab & Haryana held that marriage between a 17 years old girl and 36 years old man is valid. This goes contrary to the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, which prescribes 18 and 21 years as the age of marriage for female and male, respectively, and endangers the dignity of a girl child. By prescribing …

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