WUNRN
India – Dependent, Deprived: Child Brides
Tell Their Stories
Sometimes,
when the others are not at home, I read my old school books and hold my baby
and cry,” said Komal, who was forced to drop out of school and get married at
age 16. © UNFPA/Rajat Ray
10 June 2015 - MADHYA PRADESH/RAJASTHAN, India – “I was 16 and never missed a day at school,” recalled
Komal, who was forced to drop out of school and become a child bride.
“I had to leave it all as my parents had bartered me for a girl my elder
brother was to marry.”
Such
marriages, in which a girl is married off in exchange for a bride for her male
relative, are called ‘atta-satta’ in Komal’s community in Rajasthan, India.
Komal feared the marriage would derail her plans: she had always dreamed of
going to university and getting a good job.
“I was
sad and angry. I pleaded with my mother, but my father had made up his mind,”
she said.
“My only
hope was that my husband would let me complete my studies. But he got me
pregnant even before I turned 17. Since then, I have hardly ever been allowed
to step out of the house.”
Komal
struggles with married life. She loves her daughter, but she is blamed for not
having a son.
Komal
loves her daughter, but she is blamed for not having a son. © UNFPA/Rajat
Ray
Long-lasting consequences
Child
marriage is a human rights violation, yet it remains widespread in much of the world. The
consequences of this practice – including deepening poverty and health risks
associated with adolescent pregnancy – often extend into the
next generation.
Bina
Bai*, in Madhya Pradesh State, was married off at age 14. Her husband was only
15 years old. UNFPA, together with community health workers, reach out to the
children’s parents to delay the marriage, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
The team
then counselled the newlyweds on family planning options, which would help Bina
avoid the risks of early pregnancy. But under pressure from their elders, Bina
soon became pregnant. She suffered multiple health issues, and her baby died
shortly after birth.
Within
months, Bina was pregnant again, and again she faced numerous health problems.
The second baby, a daughter, was also unhealthy at birth.
Realizing
the importance of delaying another pregnancy, Bina and her husband began using
contraceptives. But their daughter continues to be weak and malnourished.
Ending child marriage
UNFPA is
working with partners in India to end child marriage, with efforts ranging from
awareness-raising to health advocacy to girls’ empowerment. One programme,
called Addressing Adolescent Fertility, raises awareness of the harms of child
marriage through walks, rallies, meetings and home visits in Madhya Pradesh.
Seventeen-year-old
Mallabi* heard about the programme and attended some of its meetings. She told
the organizers that her parents were planning to marry her off to a boy in her
village.
The
project team reached out to her parents and the boy’s family. After discussing
the adverse consequences of child marriage, as well as the legal risks, both
families agreed to stop the marriage.
Mallabi
was relived. “I will now focus on my studies and try to get a good job,” she
said.
Successful
efforts like Mallabi’s are giving other girls hope – both for themselves and
for future generations.
“Hopefully,
customs like atta-satta and child marriage will be totally gone by the time my
daughter grows up,” Komal said, “and she gets to complete her education and
marry only when she wants to.”