Child Marriage Case Study

Policy Memo: Child Marriage In India

Prepared for: PROF. HENDERS, POLS 4265

Prepared by: NAFISA DHANANI (Student no. 206647101)

April 5, 2014

"In many societies, marriage is a celebrated institution signifying a union between two adults and the beginning of their future together. Unfortunately, millions of girls still suffer from a vastly different marriage experience every year. Worldwide, many brides are still children, not even teenagers. So young are some girls that they hold onto their toys during the wedding ceremony. Usually these girls become mothers in their early teens, while they are still children themselves. The practice, though sheathed in tradition, can result in profound negative consequences for the girls, their families, and their entire communities.”

Excerpt obtained from http://tooyoungtowed.org

Executive summary

The Problem

Child marriage, aside from being a human rights violation in and of itself, triggers a series of rights violations that continue throughout a girl’s life. (SOURCE 1) These involve such circumstances as forced sexual experiences and sexual violence, pregnancies of an early, unplanned, and frequent nature, as well as the denial of education and the resultant lack of economic independence. (SOURCE 1) It also results in several health implications, including conditions resulting from pregnancy girl children are not ready for. A simple overview of the situation begs the question, how is a child expected to take care of their children and their families when they can’t even take care of themselves? Right there creates a situation of vulnerability and dependance. Girls married early are often also the victims of violence. (SOURCE 12)

In addition, while India has legislation against child marria...

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...riage as a problem to even consider taking it to the authorities. Thirdly, even where the issue of child marriage is recognized, whistle-blowing would result in terrible consequences for the person reporting it. They run the risk of being ostracized and even tortured by the community as a whole. This also affects those directly involved - one of the main reasons women don’t come forth is due to fear for the same reasons. If they are unable to escape successfully or have any action taken by authorities, they face a life of isolation and stigma.

To combat these issues, efforts must be performed at the grassroots level to create a bottom-up effect rather than top-down, which has been the current strategy (e.g. with the law and quality of enforcement officers). These include education and outreach programs provided for and from respected individuals within the community.