2. Index
1. Introduction
2. What is child marriage
3. Causes of child marriages
4. Why child marriages are continued
5. Consequences of child marriage
6. People effected by child marriages
7. Effects of child marriages
8. Child marriages all over world
9. Awareness of child marriages
10. Conclusion
3. Introduction
■ Child Marriage in India basically originated to
forestall the girl child from being withdrawn by
the conquerors of the state. Child Marriage
means a woman or a boy gets betrothed to her
partner while a toddler purely at the consent of
the fogeys. While the lawful age for an
individual to be married is ready at 18 by
UNICEF(United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund),
it’s not practiced in many places
4. What is child marriage ?
■ Child marriage usually refers to a social
phenomena practised in some societies in India ,
where a young child (usually a girl below the age
of fifteen) is married to an adult man. A second
form of practice of child marriage is that in
which the parents of the two children (the girl
and boy) arrange a future marriage.
6. Poverty
■ Poverty is a key cause of child marriage, but it’s
also an ongoing consequence. Robbed of the
chance to grow, learn, and fully realize their
potential, child brides are disempowered. In
developing countries with limited economic
opportunities, many girls and women are the
most deprived and disadvantaged.
7. Tradition
■ Causes of child marriages include poverty, bride price,
dowry, cultural traditions, religious and social pressures,
regional customs, fear of the child remaining unmarried into
adulthood, illiteracy, and perceived inability of women to work
for money.
8. Survival
■ For other families, forced child marriage is a survival strategy. If they cannot
afford to feed and educate all of their children, marrying off the girls
eliminates the burden of feeding them, while also allowing parents to give
preference to boys’ schooling.
■ In fragile contexts or where there is war or crisis, child marriage is also seen
as a way to protect girls in a hostile environment. When people have been
forced from their homes, they may reason that it is better for a girl to have
the protection of a husband than to risk physical or sexual assault from
strangers in refugee camps.
9. Why child marriages are continued
■ Poverty in India has been cited as a cause of early
marriages. Child marriages of girls is a way out of
desperate economic conditions, and way to reduce the
expenses of a poor family. In some parts of India, the
existence of personal laws for Muslims are a cause of child
marriages.
10.
11. Consequences of child marriage
■ Child marriage effectively ends a girl’s childhood, curtails her education, minimizes her economic
opportunities, increases her risk of domestic violence, and puts her at risk for early, frequent, and
very high-risk pregnancies
■ Girls under 15 are five times more likely to die in childbirth than women in their 20s and face
higher risk of pregnancy-related injuries, such as obstetric fistula
■ Child brides are often unable to negotiate safer sexual practices and are therefore at a higher risk
of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections
■ The negative consequences of child marriage reach beyond the girls themselves: children of child
brides are 60 percent more likely to die in the first year of life than those born to mothers older
than 19, and families of child brides are more likely to be poor and unhealthy
12. People effected by the child
marriages
The family from
Sikkim
Groom=40 years
Bride=11 years
Age difference=29
years
13. A girl from Rajasthan
Bride=14 years
Baby=18 months
18. Awareness of child marriages
■ Here are 5 ways Plan International is working to prevent and end child
marriage in the communities
■ 1. EDUCATING GIRLS
■ Education plays a critical role in keeping girls safe from child marriage. In fact,
the longer a girl stays in school, the less likely she is to be married before age
18 and have children during her teenage years.
■ In addition, education ensures girls acquire the skills and knowledge to find
employment and a means to support their families. This can help break the
cycle of poverty and prevent child marriages that occur as a result of extreme
poverty and/or financial gain.
19. ■ 2. EMPOWERING GIRLS
■ Every girl has the right to decide her own future, but not every girl knows this
– that’s why empowering girls is so crucial to ending child marriage.
■
■ When girls are confident in their abilities, armed with knowledge of their
rights and supported by peer groups of other empowered girls, they are able
to stand up and say “NO” to injustices like child marriage.
■
■ Empowered girls are able to re-shape perspectives and challenge conventional
norms of what it means to be a girl.
20. ■ 3. RALLYING THE WIDER COMMUNITY TO STAND UP FOR GIRLS’ RIGHTS
■ Parents and community leaders are often responsible for deciding when and
whom a girl marries. In many traditional communities, it’s believed that
marriage keeps girls safe, protected and economically provided for by their
husbands.
■
■ However, the opposite is true – marriage endangers girls’ physical and mental
health. In fact, girls who are married before 18 are more likely to experience
domestic abuse and to report that their first sexual experience was forced.
Furthermore, child brides are more at risk of HIV infection and more likely to
experience deadly complications during pregnancy and childbirth.
■
■ When parents and community leaders are educated about the many negative
consequences of child marriage, it can inspire them to change their views,
speak up for girls’ rights and encourage others to do the same.
21. ■ 4. PROVIDING GIRLS AND THEIR FAMILIES WITH INCOME OPPORTUNITIES
■ Providing families with livelihood opportunities like microfinance loans is an
effective way to prevent child marriages that occur as a result of financial
need.
■
■ When families have increased economic opportunities, they’re less likely to
perceive their daughters as economic burdens. This is especially true if a girl is
in school gaining valuable skills that will help generate income in the future.
22. ■ 5. PETITIONING GOVERNMENT AND ENCOURAGING SUPPORTIVE LAWS
■ In countries where child marriage is prevalent, petitioning government to
increase the minimum age for marriage to 18 years is a critical first step for
positive change.
■
■ Once the minimum age is increased, it’s imperative to continue raising
awareness of these laws among government officials and community leaders to
ensure the laws are being enforced.
■
■ Other legal policies, such as registering birth certificates and marriages, are
powerful tools for preventing child marriage.
23.
24.
25. Conclusion
■ Empower girls with information, skills and support networks.
■ Provide economic support and incentives to girls and their families.
■ Educate and rally parents and community members.
■ Enhance girls' access to a high-quality education.
■ Encourage supportive laws and policies
Child marriage negatively affects the Indian economy and can lead to an intergenerational cycle of
poverty. Girls and boys married as children more likely lack the skills, knowledge and job prospects
needed to lift their families out of poverty and contribute to their country’s social and economic growth
