The auspicious day of Hindus — Akshay Tritiya —usually brings to mind crowds of buyers at jewellery shops offering a plethora of discounts. But there is a darker side of it as well— crowds of rural parents rushing to the local temple, purohit or pastor to marry off their little children on this ‘mahamuhurt’.
According to a survey by the central Ministry of Social Welfare, Akshay Tritiya day accounts for some 48 per cent of the total child marriages in the country. And various national reports affirm that the percentage of child marriages is much higher in Jharkhand compared to the national average of 47 per cent. According to the Annual Health Survey (2010-11), Jharkhand is third after Bihar and Rajasthan with 51.8 per cent girls below 18 years being married off.
District wise, Deoghar leads in child marriage with 72.4 per cent followed by Giridih at 71.2 per cent and Hazaribagh at 65.7 per cent. Government officials and social organisations attribute this high incidence to a number of factors both social and economic.
“Poor families marry off young daughters to reduce the number of children they need to care for. Another major incentive, especially in Muslim families, is the price prospective husbands will pay for young brides. Then there are religious misconceptions that marrying girls before they reach puberty will bring divine blessings on the families involved. Poverty and social norms that pressurise the girls’ families into believing that early marriage will protect young girls from sexual attacks and violence, ensure that their daughter will not become pregnant out of wedlock and bring dishonour to the family, too are responsible,” says Job Zachariah, Jharkhand state head of UNICEF.
Many families marry their daughters simply to avoid an increase in the dowry amount (more educated or older girls usually require a higher dowry), a common practice despite it being a crime under Indian law. “Even now, girls are considered an economic burden; a property of the in-laws’ family. Hence, the sooner they marry and reach their in-laws’ house, the better,” says Sakshi Tyagi, a volunteer with Child Relief and You (CRY). “This is also why there’s little emphasis on education of girls especially in rural areas. Spending on this is considered a waste as they will ultimately move to the groom’s house and do housework,” she adds.
Child marriage is also a gross violation of the child’s right to health, nutrition and protection from violence, abuse and exploitation. “Child marriage pushes girls into early pregnancy, which is a major cause of high maternal and infant mortality. Under- age mothers are likely to give birth to low birth-weight babies, which causes malnutrition and delayed physical and cognitive development of children,” says Tyagi.
Also, “Young girls who marry before 18 have a greater risk of becoming victims of domestic violence than those marrying at an older age; particularly if the age gap between the child bride and spouse is large. Child marriage is also an abrupt and often violent introduction to sexual relations for young girls, who are powerless to refuse and lack the resources or socio-legal support to leave an abusive marriage,” states a report by the UNFPA titled “Marrying too young”.
But within the causes lie the preventives. Officials enumerate education, awareness and creation of socio-legal pressures as the best ways to combat this evil. “UNICEF’s data reveals that while 95 per cent girls go to primary schools in Jharkhand, only 40 per cent go to middle school and just 20 per cent to high school. And when the girl drops out, the first thing parents’ think of is her marriage. Ensuring that girls go to school and that schools are easily accessible is hence important," says Zachariah. “We also have to convince priests and pastors to refuse to officiate in ceremonies involving children. Social pressure is a great mover, so convincing village heads and prominent villagers to not attend such events can force the parents’ to call it off, or at least delay it till the children are 18. This is where UNICEF is focussing now, in association with Panchayat Raj institutions. We also encourage people to report such events so that authorities may stop it,” says Zachariah.
“A girl who is married as a child is one whose potential will not be fulfilled,” says Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director, UNFPA in the report; For the world can ill afford to squander the potential, talents and contributions of the 39,000 little girls who are married each day.