The legal age limit in India for people to married off is 18 years. However, that hasn’t stopped parents and elders from marrying off their children as soon as they hit puberty. This practice, while pretty old, still seems to continue even until today, despite being pronounced to be against the law.
We highlight some of the efforts that can answer an important question - how to stop marriage:
Empower children through support networks
With child marriage being rampant in areas where there is a lack of awareness about social causes, empowering children by setting up support networks. Providing them with information about their rights and making them aware of organisations that deal with stopping child marriages, child abuse, etc. are some of the things that can be done.
Offer economic support through skill training for young girls
Young girls are often married off by their parents with the thought that they could get rid of at least a certain amount of financial burden. However, girls can be a great source of economic support if trained right and provided with skills that can help them work for a living. This can keep parents from ridding themselves off of their daughters by realising the potential that girls have in terms of being financial independent.
Educate parents
Parents are the foundations that need to be treated before one heads up to the building blocks. Educating parents about the horrors of child marriage and what they can be condemning their child to is vital. Further, helping them realise the potential of children when they are provided education and all of the basic necessities pertaining to survival and excelling in life can help in making them understand their errors. The more one reaches out to parents, the more you add to your team that is striving to find more ways on how to stop child marriage.
Ensure access to higher education for young girls
In most cases, girls of the house are deprived of their right to education by being made to do household chores and help around in the house instead. Girls are also often made to wait upon the sons of the house like servants and married off when they come of age or hit puberty. With free access to education laying an emphasis on compulsory education, children would be more aware of their rights and the consequences of most traditions followed by their elders which may or may not be in accordance with the law of the land.
Keep a check on the implementation of laws formed
While there have been numerous laws set in place that condemn the practice of child marriage, the tradition is still prevalent in many regions of the country. These instances evade the law, leading to more and more cases of child marriage. Keeping a check on the areas that have seen the most instances of child marriage and implementing the consequences in the form of a hefty fine and imprisonment can set an example for others to keep away from such practices.
By actively seeking ways of how to stop child marriage, individuals and organisations can do their part in saving children from a lifetime of pain and suffering to become the citizens of a future that isn’t tainted by abuse.