Assam Child Marriage Crackdown: What More Can Be Done To Prevent The Act?

Over 2,500 people were arrested on Saturday in Assam in the state’s crackdown against child marriage. The state-wide arrests following the order of chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma have focused attention on the social issue of child marriage in India. However, are massive arrests enough to eradicate the culture of child marriage? Legal actions apart, what else can be done to prevent child marriage?

Following the arrests, the female family members protested against the arrests of their husbands and sons. The women who are demanding the release of the men from their families claimed that they have no other means of income.

The genuine complaints of these women are a reminder that arresting and convicting wrongdoers alone cannot help eradicate child marriage. The cause needs to be identified and addressed. The tradition of getting young girls married has almost faded away. Today, the majority of child marriages happen because of poverty, a lack of education, social awareness, gender inequality, control over women and their sexuality, and safety concerns about girl children.

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Assam Child Marriage Crackdown

According to National Family Health Survey-5 data for 2020–21, child marriage has declined to 23.3 percecnt in India. While the decline is noteworthy, more than 20 percent of women being victims of child marriage is a serious problem. Educating and empowering women can help redress the issue.

According to a 2022 report by the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+), the net enrollment ratio of girls is 93 percent at the primary level but drastically drops to 52 percent at the higher secondary level. These numbers prove that girls are denied access to higher education. Economically backward families do not prioritise the education of girl children due to gender inequality and stereotyping. A majority of them still believe that men are providers and protectors, and women's place is inside the kitchen.

Even today, in certain remote areas of the country, older men pay the bride’s family a hefty sum to marry young girls. So, they marry off the older daughters and use the dowry money to raise the younger siblings. Girls who are younger are more likely to be chaste and likely to produce more children, so they will be paid more.

Young girls who have been denied education are not aware of their rights. Many don’t even realise that minor marriage is invalid, that they have a right to protest, and that there are laws to protect them. Recently, a minor girl’s timely WhatsApp message to the police in Hyderabad helped stop her from being forcibly married to a 30-year-old man. This wouldn’t have happened if the girl wasn’t educated and made aware of her rights. This proves that girls and women who are educated and empowered are more likely to stand up against the injustices happening to them.

Due to a lack of education and social awareness, economically backward families believe that a woman's virginity is their family's honour. The patriarchal mindset makes them marry off their daughters at a young age so that they don't have premarital sex and bring shame to the family. Such families also view girl children as a burden and hence resort to child marriage. Some families believe that a married girl is much safer than an unmarried one. So, parents marry off their girls early to protect them from the crimes committed against them. Unfortunately, they do not realise that child marriage itself is a crime that jeopardises their daughters' lives.

The drastic age gap between husband and wife in child marriages influences the power dynamics in the relationship. Girls and women who were married off at a young age are more likely to experience domestic violence. Also, since the men are much older, sexual activity starts right after marriage, leading to teen pregnancies. This is associated with maternal and infant mortality because girls as young as 14–15 aren't physically and emotionally prepared to become mothers. Due to the desire for a male child, young girls are forced to conceive multiple times until they deliver a male child. Young girls with little or no education who are raised to be submissive simply obey the elders, unaware that they have rights and agency of their own.

So, it's vital that higher education be made accessible to girls. Women, especially in economically backward pockets of society, should be made aware of their rights through academic education and women empowerment sessions. Only then will women realise that they have agency over their lives and protest against the injustices done to them. Poverty might force some parents to marry off their daughters despite their unwillingness. So, educating parents on the harmful effects of child marriage is also essential. Women who have already become victims of child marriage could be taught some handwork so that they become financially independent.