WITH the 2030 target to end child marriage approaching, India still accounts for one in three child brides across the world, while one in every five Indian young women was married before turning 18. While the prevalence of child marriages has come down sharply from over 50 per cent in 1996 to little over 20 per cent now, experts, on the occasion of International Day of the Girl Child, have warned not to get “swayed” by the national average, emphasising that the problem is a lot more acute in some states. Five States -- Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh -- account for more than half of the total child marriages in the country, according to UNICEF and Government data. States and Union Territories that are doing well include Kerala and Lakshadweep.

 

“This year’s International Day of the Girl Child theme, End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls’ Rights, calls for sustained investments throughout adolescence so that girls stay in school, remain healthy and safe, build skills, access opportunities and exercise agency over decisions that affect their lives,” UNICEF India Representative Cynthia McCaffrey told PTI. “India has made important progress in advancing girls’ rights and reducing child marriage through sustained efforts across education, health and nutrition, child protection, and social protection. Progress will accelerate by deepening these investments while also strengthening girls’ voice, agency and participation,” she noted. “Girls are not only beneficiaries of development, but active contributors to it.

 

When girls have the confidence, skills and safe spaces to participate and lead, they help shape strong families, communities, and societies,” she added. India is estimated to have more than 224 million women in the 20-24 age group who are married before they turn 17, as per UNICEF data. Of these, more than 90 million are married even before they turn 15. UNICEF estimates that a girl gets married every 3 seconds in the world, and the number of such marriages can reach 1,500 per day.