With the number of child marriages remains alarming in Odisha, limiting implementation of the Child Marriage Prohibition Act- 2006 to rescue and rehabilitation of victims in majority of cases have worried activists and organisations working in the field.
Expressing grave concern over the issue, the ClAP legal Service Institute on Monday urged the Women and Child Development Minister to ensure that prosecution is done in each and every case under the Act.
“Records have revealed that execution of the Act is confined to rescue and rehabilitation of victims while the rate of prosecution rate is almost nil. We demand that the Act is properly implemented so that child marriage will be controlled,” demanded ClAP president Dr Bikash Das.
He suggested that the Government appoint full time Child Marriage Prohibition Officers in the high burden districts of Odisha for awareness, monitoring of incidents of child marriages and prevention of child marriages. The officers should also be trained properly, he suggested
Simultaneously a sign board may be displayed in a visible place in every office of Child Marriage Prohibition Officers for easy access and coordination among police, Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and such officers. A coordination office at the State level may be opened to facilitate interaction among the stakeholders.
As per the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4) in Odisha, 21.3 per cent women in the age group of 20-24 years were married off before the legal age limit of 18-year. Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Mayurbhanj, Koraput, Rayagada and Nayagarh are the top six districts which recorded more than 30 per cent women aged between 20 and 24 years married off before the legal age.
While child marriage is prevalent in all districts, women aged between 20-24 years married before attaining their legal age is mostly in the scheduled tribe areas. Apart from it, costal Bhadrak and Nayagarh are also high prevalence districts. In 24 districts of Odisha, more than 10 per cent girls marry before the legal age limit of 18 years.
The Census-2011 identified worrisome districts like Angul, Baleswar, Ganjam, Gajapati, Keonjhar, Kandhamal, Dhenkanal and Boudh with a proportion ranging from 15-13 per cent.
The statistics reveals that in child marriage cases the prosecution rate is very low in the State. Even there are cases where children have been rescued at the time of marriage but no cases initiated.
In Malkangiri, out of 18 child marriages, prosecution was done in two cases and, in Bhadrak, two prosecutions were done while 13 child marriages reported. One girl child committed suicide in this district. No prosecution was done in six districts out of list of 12 districts.
