The document discusses child marriage in India, including statistics on prevalence, causes, and impacts. It notes that over 50% of child brides in India live in five states - Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh. Causes of child marriage include societal norms, poverty, lack of education and awareness, and the need to protect the caste system. Impacts include increased maternal and infant mortality, domestic violence, and denial of education for girls. The government has implemented various laws and programs aimed at prohibiting child marriage and empowering girls.

1. Presented by,
Nithya Krishnan,
2nd semester, MSW,
CUTN

2.  It is defined as a marriage of a girl or boy before the age of 18 and refers to both formal
marriages and informal unions in which children under the age of 18 live with a partner as if
married.
 One-third of girls around the world - brides before eighteen and one in nine – brides before
fifteen.
 Girls are deprived their fundamental rights to health, nutrition, education and freedom.
 In India, about 56 percent of girls get married before the age of eighteen. Every one out of two
married girl is under age.
 One in three of the world’s child brides live in India.
 Highest rate of child marriage -Uttar Pradesh, Bihar,West Bengal, Maharashtra and Madhya
Pradesh
 Over 40 per cent of young women were married before turning 18 in Bihar and West Bengal,
compared to less than 5 per cent in Lakshadweep.

3. Over half of Indian
child brides live in
five states: Uttar
Pradesh, Bihar, West
Bengal, Maharashtra
and Madhya Pradesh.
Uttar Pradesh is
home to the largest
population of child
brides, with 36 million
(Source- UNICEF India)

4. Ancient India
• In the vedic period
‘Swayamvara’ ,
Gandharva Vivaha,
Asura vivaha were
prevalent but Bal
Vivaha was absent.
• In Vijaynagar rule
pre puberty
marriage were
frequent among the
non Brahmans.
• Manu smriti
expressed
• that bride should be
much younger than
bridegroom.
Medieval Period
• The invasion, war,
plunders and
exploitation of territory
was general character
of that times.
• Therefore, parents
would want to remove
responsibilities of their
daughters by getting
them married before of
puberty.
• parents and community
leaders preferred child
marriage to protect
hereditary caste
system.
Colonial period
• hereditary caste system
and rigid social
customs.
• Patriarchal Thoughts
• Introduction of western
education - The
educated people
strongly protested
against this social evils.
• ‘Native Marriage Bill’
on 18th November 1868
– marriage age 14
• ‘The age of Consent
Act’ passed in 1891. age
of consent -12 ys.
• The Marriage Restraint
Bill’,1 October 1929,
boys-18, girls- 14
After independence
• This evil practice
is still prevalent
in the all states
and union
territory of India.
• There has been 10
percent decline in
the proportion of
child marriage.
• The proportion of
child marriage
decreased from
54.2% to 44.5%in
the year 1992-93
to 2005-06.

5. • Pressure to abide by
societal norms
• Early marriages have
organized as a cultural
tradition.
• Patriarchal institution.
• To protect caste system
parents and community
leaders have emphasized on
early marriage.
• System of dowry
• Poverty
• Lack of education and
awareness of the peoples.
• Lack of social security
• Child marriage increases Maternal death
• Premature birth is a major problem of early
pregnancy, where are born with low weight
and various complications.
• Infant mortality
• The spared of HIV
• sexual exploitation of girls
• Child marriage denies schooling for girls and
their right to Education
• Early pregnancy - According to census 2001,
nearly 300000 girls under 15 years gave birth
to at least one child.
• Health issues - anemia, high blood pressure,
and toxemia, delayed or obstructed labor,
complication in pregnancy and weight loss
during lactation.
• Domestic violence
• trafficking of girls.

6. Child marriage prohibition Act- 2006
 Prohibit for child marriage, protect and provide relief to victim and enhance punishment for those who
abet, promote or solemnize such marriage.
 Minimum legal age of marriage is 18 years for girls and 21 years for boys.
 Full time ‘child marriage prohibition officers’ in the every state.
Government’s policies and programs for Girls
 Balika Samridhi Yojana
 Kisory Sakti Yojana
 National policy for the empowerment of women
 National population policy
 National youth policy
 National charter for children
 Girls child protection scheme
 National plan of Action for children
 Bal Vivah Virodh Abhiyan
 Integrated child protection Scheme
 Dhanalakshmi
 Rajiv Gandhi Scheme
The Phulmoni Dasi Rape
Case
• Phulmoni Dasi(10) died on the
first night after her marriage to
Hari Mohan Mait(30) in 1889.
• husband was convicted under
Section 338 of the Indian Penal
Code for "causing grievous hurt
by act endangering life or
personal safety of others”
• "Age of Consent“ bill

7.  The Government of India has taken various constitutional, legal and policy-making program to
prevent child marriage.
 Some studies show that the prevalence of child marriage has substantially declined during recent
periods in India.
 This declining trend of child marriage has been accompanied by many factors including
enforcement laws against child marriage practice.
 Education enhance female autonomy in the household regarding marriage decision-making and
thereby the chances of getting married during childhood become lower.
 improving the economic status of the household could be an effective means to eliminate the
practice of child marriage.
 Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 is found to be effective in voiding the practice of child
marriage as the rate of child marriage has substantially declined during the past two decades.
 Therefore, the government should also focus on the effective implementation of child marriage
enforcement laws to prevent the practice.
 Policymakers and programme administrators should pay special attention to rural and socially
disadvantaged communities where most of the child marriages have taken place.

8.  Nayan, M. (2015). Child marriage in India: Social maladies and government’s
initiatives. International Journal of Applied Research, 1(5), 72-80.
 Paul, P. (2020). Child marriage among girls in India: Prevalence, trends and socio-
economic correlates. Indian Journal of Human Development, 14(2), 304-319.
 From - UNICEF India- https://www.unicef.org/india/media/1176/file/Ending-Child-
Marriage.pdf