India has made significant progress in its fight against child marriage, with approximately 200,000 cases prevented in the past year, according to Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi.
Despite efforts to address the issue, one in five Indian girls still marries before the legal age of 18, underscoring the need for more intense measures.
During the launch of the Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, officials revealed the campaign’s goal of completely eradicating child marriage.
The government has set an ambitious goal to reduce child marriage rates to below 5% by 2029. The campaign focuses on seven high-burden states—West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Tripura, Assam, and Andhra Pradesh—and nearly 300 districts where the prevalence of child marriages significantly exceeds the national average.
Child marriage not only deprives young girls of education but also exposes them to health risks, domestic violence, and economic insecurity. Studies show that 1.5 million girls under 18 are married annually in India. Though the rate of child marriages has dropped from 47% in 2006 to 27% in 2016, the practice remains entrenched in social norms and economic hardships, particularly in rural areas.
Key drivers behind the decline include enhanced access to education, strong public awareness campaigns, and legal enforcement. India’s Prohibition of Child Marriage Act imposes stringent penalties for those facilitating such marriages. However, hidden cases continue to challenge authorities, with many unions occurring clandestinely.
To combat this, experts emphasize the importance of empowering adolescent girls through education, skill-building programs, and supportive community frameworks. Collaborative efforts between governments, civil society, and international organizations like UNICEF aim to tackle deep-rooted societal norms that perpetuate the practice.
The campaign underscores the importance of addressing this issue holistically, aligning with global Sustainable Development Goals to eliminate harmful practices against women and girls by 2030.
(By Ankita Singh, Web Team at C6N)
