The Subarnapur district administration with the ActionAid organised a large human chain involving over 60,000 women to spread the message of stopping child marriage in the district.
The women belonging to 956 villages and three urban areas stood holding hands and shouted slogans ‘stop child marriage, informed Subarnapur district Collector Dasharathi Satpathy.
According to National Family Survey, 7.6 per cent of women have been mother between 15 and 19 years of age in the State. While the highest 16.1 per cent of women become mother in Mayurbhanj district, it is 3.2 per cent in Subanrapur.
Similarly, 21.3 per cent of women in the age group of 20-24 years had married before the age of 18, according to the survey. While the highest 39.3 per cent women marry before the age of 18 in Malkangiri, it is 22.2 per cent in Subarnapur.
Now, girls under the age of 19 and boys below 21 years of age can’t marry as per law. Problems like dropouts from schools, maternal deaths, infant death, anaemia, malnutrition and family violence occur due to child marriage. Hence, the human was organised to create awareness among people for stopping child marriage, said ActionAid Programme Manager Ghashiram Panda.
Notably, over 12,000 school students had earlier taken oaths to oppose child marriage. The district administration has held meetings with tent house owners, priests and various temple trust boards not to get involved in child marriages.
District Child Protection Officer Chaturbhuja Das emphasised on creation of awareness among people for strict implementation of laws and guidelines against child marriage.