Daughters Of Shame

Poverty, extreme gender discrimination, the idea that women are not equal to men - all this results in the female gender being robbed of opportunities to study, earn and find independence. Will the Cabinet’s proposal to raise the age of marriage to 21 make a difference? It is a progressive law, but much depends on its implementation. Nischith N. reports.

The proposal to raise the minimum age of marriage for women from 18 to 21 was cleared by the Union Cabinet on Wednesday. The arguments in favour are fairly obvious – we must stop seeing our girls as liabilities, not worth the financial investment that a good education entails, or rule them out as possible breadwinners. While the urbane, upper middle class has moved past this, rural heartlands across the country, marked by crippling poverty, violence and that gender discrimination, remain rooted to a culture they perceive to be the best. There, women are married off young, as a means of transferring responsibility. It’s also a way to keep them safe from the leering male gaze, from an unforgiving society. In these places, the law of the land has little importance, the community makes the rules. How- ever, others complain that while the law certainly gives off the impression of a government making all the right noises, they don’t believe that it is enough to deter child marriage. Marrying of a minor does not stem from a lack of awareness, but for reasons of convenience, safety concerns and social pressures. Some 23.3 percent of India’s women, that’s nearly a quarter of those aged between 20 and 24 years still marry before the age of 18, according to pre-pandemic data. The malaise only multiplied during the lockdowns, another reminder of the role that poverty, lack of access to schools and certain traditional notions of female status, including ‘family honour’, dictate life choices far more than the liberal philosophies espoused by the educated elite. According to data, 1,916 cases of child marriage have been registered across Karnataka. Experts say that these numbers are necessarily indicative of the truth – scores of cases go unreported. They suggest that the government must do more about ensuring that existing law is followed, before attempting to raise the legal age of marriage for girls.

In both rural and urban areas, there are still homes where women aren’t encouraged to work. They believe that there is little to be gained by educating a girl past a certain level. Marrying them off is simpler. “Making a law is not necessarily the best idea because even with the age limit at 18, there seem to be child marriage cases in the country,” says Amrutha, an activist. “In households where both parents work, even if the girl is sent to school, she is home alone for a few hours every evening. This is perceived as a risk and the girl is married off as soon as possible.” The pandemic dealt a huge financial blow and to many families, the urgency to marry off a daughter was only amplified – it meant one less mouth to feed, after al. “The government should enforce the existing law,” Amrutha says.

In rural Karnataka, girls marry as early as 14. Once a girl reaches puberty, “her safety” is the family’s prime concern. According to the data, the State Child Rights Commission has been quick to act – out of the 1,916 recorded cases, the Commission has been able to prevent 1,641 girls from getting into wedlock. The survey also claims that child marriage in Karnataka is not mere a product of poverty. Even in “well to do” and “well placed” families, if a suitable match is found, the girl is engaged and the wedding solemnized as soon as she turns 18. If families suspect that a girl is in a relationship, especially with “someone unsuitable,” she is typically married off to the first appropriate match.

We welcome the Centre’s move to increase the minimum age of marriage for women from 18 to 21. It has been a long pending demand, a means to save our women. The government should start working on changing the mindset in society, it won’t happen just through a law,” says the Chairperson for the Karnataka State Commission for Women. “Girls must complete their education, find work and achieve financial stability. Getting married at the age of 21 gives her time to find her own feet.”

The ‘child marriage’ rate in India is 27 percent (UNICEF) to 47 percent (ICRW). Will merely raising the legal bar to 21 make a change? Child marriages are common in Karnataka – families don’t want to send girls away to college or for work, so chances are, she will remain at home for three years. The solution is really empowerment through awareness, which takes place at the grassroots level. “The families should reco