Rayagada: The government has implemented a host of legal provisions and awareness programmes to prevent child marriages. However, despite the best efforts of the government, child marriages continue to be rampant in most parts of tribal-dominated Rayagada district. The district is in fourth place in the state in terms girl child marriages, a report said. October 11 is observed as ‘International Girl Child Day’ to create awareness on gender equality and to protect their rights.
However, marriage of underage girls is still in practice in various parts of this tribal-dominated district. The district administration is doing its best under ‘Prachestha Abhiyan’ to check girl child marriages and give them proper education and nutrition. Accordingly, plans are being drawn up, but the district is yet to get rid of the malady of child marriages. As per a National Family health survey, the rate of child marriage in the district stands at 33.2 per cent.
About 9.2 per cent of the married girls become mothers between the age of 15 and 19 years. Despite the figures, the district administration has declared 1,345 villages as free of child marriage. According to the district social welfare officer, the administration has managed to stop 97 child marriages in 2020; 89 in 2021 and 69 in 2022. Child marriages are being reported from various parts of the district except this town, Gunupur, Kolnara, Padmapur and Ramnaguda blocks. Surprisingly, the district administration has no official data about the number of child marriages that have so far taken place in the district and those that have been prevented before 2020.
Social activists and experts claimed that many child marriage cases have not been recorded by the district administration. Sources added that in some areas, adolescent girls (attending 18 years) elope with their lovers and get married. The district social welfare officer said that cooperation is required at all levels to stop such incidents. Intellectuals said that though the administration is taking steps to prevent child marriages, it has become ineffective in remote rural areas. They noted there is need to create massive awareness at the grassroots level for guardians, adolescent girls and boys to prevent child marriages.
