Manish Kumar
Post News Network
AGE MARRIED WIDOWED
15 28,055(Boys-7,226, Girls-20,829) 1,473 (Boys-389, girls-1,084)
16 29,965 (Boys-7,940, Girls-22,025) 926 (Boys-251, Girls-675)
17 41,925 (Boys-8,319, Girls-33,606) 833 (Boys-270, Girls-675)
source – census of india
Bhubaneswar, May 5: India still has a very long way to go towards truly becoming the modern, progressive country that many of its citizens think it already is, if statistics on child marriage are any indicator of how archaic mindsets are still so deeply rooted in our psyche.
Recent data released by the Census department is an acknowledgment of the fact that the social evil of child marriage is still an inescapable reality in the state.
According to the study, a staggering number of 99,945 children between the age group of 15-17 in Orissa are into wedlock. This number is around 4.2 per cent of the total population of children aged between 15 and 17 in the state. Such a large number of married children begs the question as to how efficient are the schemes, policies, awareness drives and various measures being launched by the government to exterminate the menace.
The number of married girls is three times that of boys, in further indication of how the female gender continues to be overwhelmingly exploited with society’s tacit approval. Census data says 28,055 children under the age of 15 have become victims of child marriage, out of which 20,829 (74 per cent) are females. In the age group of 16-17 years, around 74 per cent and 80 per cent of the victims respectively are females.
Another heartbreaking statistic emerging from this is the number of child widows. Orissa is home to 3,232
children aged between 15 and 17 who have lost their spouses; 66 per cent are widows, most of whom, by anybody’s guess, will remain widows for the rest of their lives.Early marriage, besides its several ills, also poses severe health risks to young girls, with premature childbirth leading to death being the single biggest risk of all.
Experts from the city said it was disappointing that such a large number of child marriages continue to take place right under the nose of the administration, with little regard for the laws of the land.
“This is a large number of children who have little of a future to look forward to. The data shows the state administration in a very poor light,” said Ghasiram Panda, programme manager at Actionaid.
“The data speaks volumes about the vulnerability of the girl child in the age group of 15-17. There are numerous Central and state schemes to ensure welfare of this section of society by educating them and developing their skill sets. The need of the hour is to strengthen existing policies and introduce a new policy that specifically targets child marriages,” Panda said.
Panda said one of the reasons behind families marrying off their
daughters at such a young age is due to the problem of dowry, which tends to increase with age.
“Ignorance of the law and of the health consequences is a significant factor. Parents do not understand the dangers of child marriage. Social beliefs and traditions are mainly responsible for this menace. In some remote areas and in tribal pockets, children get married off at an early age as parents want to ensure their children’s virginity. The fact that girls are viewed as a burden to the family is evident in the manner many parents want to marry off their daughters at a young age,” said Benudhar Senapati, member, Child Welfare Committee, Khurda district.
