Bhubaneswar: The state Women and Child Development department is in the process of drafting an action plan to ensure that no child marriage takes place in Odisha by 2030.
As per the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4) conducted in 2015-16, prevalence of child marriage in Odisha was 21.3 per cent, slightly lower than the national average of 26.8 per cent.
The report stated that in Odisha, one in five women aged 20-24 years were married before the age of 18, while one in 10 men were married before 21 years, indicating that early marriages among girls were twice than that of boys. In Odisha, 7.6 per cent girls (15 to 19 years) were reported to be expecting or already attained motherhood, the NFHS-4 reported.
Malkangiri district reported the maximum – 39 per cent – number of child marriages in the state, followed by Nabarangpur, Mayurbhanj, Koraput and Rayagada, where over one-third of all girls get married before attaining adulthood. In Nayagarh, Ganjam, Keonjhar, Balasore, Dhenkanal and Gajapati, over one-fourth of all girls are married before the age of 18.
Marriage as an institution is governed by stringent social norms and cultural practices across all communities in the state. Among the tribal communities, practices like Jhika, Udulia, Mangini, Ghara Jamai, Jhola do not consider age as a “criterion” for marrying off either boys or girls. These communities are especially vulnerable.
The action plan being drafted by the state government aims to reduce incidences of child marriage from 21.3 per cent to 10 per cent by 2024 and eliminate the menace by 2030.
The government plans to develop a robust management information system (MIS) to monitor the implementation of its Strategic Action Plan (SAP) to end child marriage. It has focused on five major aspects – gender, education, health and nutrition and opportunity and legal.
The implementation of the SAP will be reviewed bi-annually by the State Task Force for Care, Protection and Development of Women and Girls headed by the Chief Secretary. Various organisations like Biju Yuva Vahini (BYV), Gram Sabha, Mission Shakti and Self-Help Groups (SHGs), Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan, National Cadet Corps (NCC) and National Service Scheme (NSS) will be involved to end child marriage in the state.
“The action plan has been drafted to end child marriage in our state. Currently, we are seeking the views and suggestions from the public to present an effective action plan,” W&CD secretary Anu Garg said.