And while I was busy celebrating the fact that I am still unmarried at 28, I came across this link. According to a recent Unicef report, almost half the women born in India are married off before they turn 18, while 18 per cent of them are below 15. And whats more? Among those married, 22 per cent became mothers before they got the right to vote!
It makes me realise how little I know. I think child marriage is prohibited, and that means it doesn't happen. I guess I'm wrong. The law in India is merely a formality, be it child marriage laws or anti dowry laws. The larger problem is the society.
The society which still considers women as second class citizens and a girl child as a burden. And how can this stop? when we stop treating girls as "paraya dhan". Treat them as children, teenagers.. treat them as humans, who have their own opinions and rights.
I do realise that the women in the statistics above would mostly belong to the lower strata of society, where the parents are possibly not aware of the perils of child marriage.. maybe due to the lack of education. However, chandigarh, the UT with the highest GDP per capita, has the lowest sex ratio! It makes me wonder that the hatred for females has nothing to do with education whatsoever! If education can't cure it, what can?
It makes me realise how little I know. I think child marriage is prohibited, and that means it doesn't happen. I guess I'm wrong. The law in India is merely a formality, be it child marriage laws or anti dowry laws. The larger problem is the society.
The society which still considers women as second class citizens and a girl child as a burden. And how can this stop? when we stop treating girls as "paraya dhan". Treat them as children, teenagers.. treat them as humans, who have their own opinions and rights.
I do realise that the women in the statistics above would mostly belong to the lower strata of society, where the parents are possibly not aware of the perils of child marriage.. maybe due to the lack of education. However, chandigarh, the UT with the highest GDP per capita, has the lowest sex ratio! It makes me wonder that the hatred for females has nothing to do with education whatsoever! If education can't cure it, what can?
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