Despite significant strides in reducing child marriage in India, a recent study reveals that one in five girls and nearly one in six boys are still married as children, posing a challenge to achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal target 5.3.
The researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health examined data from all five waves of India’s National Family Health Survey (1993-2021).
NATIONAL DECLINE, RECENT STAGNATION
Nationally, the trend has decreased over the years. The prevalence of girl child marriage dropped from 49% in 1993 to 22% in 2021. Boy child marriage declined from 7% in 2006 to 2% in 2021.
However, progress has stalled in recent years. The most significant reductions occurred between 2006 and 2016, with a slower decline observed from 2016 to 2021.
REGIONAL VARIATIONS
Six states/union territories, including Manipur, Punjab, Tripura, and West Bengal, witnessed an increase in girl child marriage, while eight, including Chhattisgarh, Goa, Manipur, and Punjab, saw a rise in boy child marriage.
CURRENT SCENARIO
By 2021, over 13.4 million women and 1.4 million men ages 20-24 were married as children.
One in five girls and nearly one in six boys are still married below India’s legal age of marriage.
HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION
Marrying off a child is recognized as a human rights violation and contributes to gender- and sexual-based violence. It is both a cause and consequence of social and economic vulnerability, leading to a range of poor health outcomes.
CALL FOR ACTION
The study underscores the urgency for renewed efforts to combat child marriage, reigniting progress and addressing the stagnation observed in recent years.
Lead author S. V. Subramanian emphasized the significance of the findings, stating, “Our findings offer a big step forward in understanding this burden in India—one that will be critical to effective policymaking.” First author Jewel Gausman stressed the need for India to reignite progress, considering child marriage’s profound impact on health outcomes.
The study, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, calls for immediate attention to curb child marriage, advocating for sustained efforts to eliminate this human rights violation and achieve global development goals.
