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With deepening social pressures, around four million girls and boys are at risk of child marriage.
A recent UNFPA (United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency) report states, “The pandemic is also expected to cause significant delays in programmes to end female genital mutilation and child marriage, resulting in an estimated 2 million more cases of FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) over the next decade than would otherwise have occurred.”
Amidst a surge of violence against women globally, the pandemic has disrupted efforts to mitigate the consequences related to the rights of women and girls. Marrying before the age of 18 is considered a human rights violation. However, despite the laws being in place, the harmful practice remains intact. According to a 2019 UNICEF report, one in three of the world’s child brides live in India and around one in four young women in India were married or in union before their 18th birthday.
The consequences of this can lead to a lifetime of suffering. Girls who have been married before the age of 18 are more prone to experience instances of domestic violence and are more likely to die due to complications in pregnancy and childbirth than women in their 20s or 30s. According to the aforementioned UNFPA report, disrupted efforts “to end child marriage will result in millions of more child marriages over the coming 10 years. And because poverty is a known driver of child marriage – with families more likely to marry off daughters in times of economic stress alleviating the perceived burden of caring for them – the anticipated economic fallout of the pandemic is expected to result in millions more early marriages. Together, it is expected that 13 million more child marriages could take place by 2030 than would have otherwise.” Rates of child marriage were beginning to have an all-time low before COVID-19 hit in India. Girls are especially vulnerable and susceptible to child marriage as it deprives them of making free choices. Also, schools especially, provide a safe haven and act as a deterrent for girls who could be trapped within early marriages. Urban and semi-urban schools have switched to online learning, however, rural school systems fail to attain strong connectivity. As stated by a Live Mint article on e-learning, loudspeakers attached to a cart is being used by teachers to impart their daily lessons in Haryana’s villages. However, it also posits that “weak internet penetration has turned e-education into a distant dream for many children in the rural areas,” while encircling the rural realities of living with the threat of COVID-19. The Citizen also elucidates and provides solutions to this reality of burden many children face, “Everyone’s access to such education should be ensured. The provision of midday meals through dry rations or by depositing money into bank accounts during the lockdown will reduce the economic burden on families considering child marriage.”
Child marriage in India showcases the widespread gender equality and discrimination that persists and multiplies in the climate of a pandemic.
