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The extermination of child marriage in India is a long-drawn process and requires persistent efforts that’ll tackle it right at the grass-roots level. Campaigns and revolts leading to awareness could help abolish the culture of having underage girls married to boys, or even much older men. Once married, the fate of the helpless child bride lies entirely in the hands of her husband, who may or may not choose to consummate the marriage. Thankfully, the Supreme Court of India took one step towards the abolishment of this cruel act and ruled yesterday that sex with a minor bride shall be counted as rape.
Till October 11 2017, Section 375 that defined the various circumstances of rape, enlisted an exception: men can engage in sexual relations with girls aged 15 to 18 as long as they are married to the latter. Consequently, underage brides who were neither physically nor mentally mature were victims of an non-consensual sexual relation. According to a report by The Hindu, India follows Bangladesh in the highest rate of child marriages. It can be safe to state that countless child brides have been sexually exploited, while their husbands were protected legally.
The Times of India then reported that there were over 2.3 crore child brides in the country! The ruling shall protect the modesty and privacy of these underage girls, with the age of consent for girls being 18, and 21 for boys. Hopefully this ruling results in a future where marital rape in general is illegal, thereby relinquishing the hold patriarchy abuses through marriage.
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