India is home to millions of young girls who hail from underprivileged communities. All girls must be able to access their fundamental rights yet the girl child is not welcome in many such homes. They are still seen as a burden as well as a financial liability that need to be dealt with, preferably married off soon. In many cases, the girl child is not allowed to be born in the first case, and even if she does, there are many obstacles standing in the way of young girls leading an equal-opportunity life.
Child marriage is one of the most prevalent forms of exploitation and sexual abuse that at-risk girls face under the age of 18. It is still practiced in all Indian states, although it is most prevalent in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Haryana, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. UNICEF 2014 further shows that one in three child brides worldwide is from India.
Innumerable girls suffer as their dreams shatter and future prospects diminish due to the complex issue of child marriage and early childbirth. Both urban and rural sections of India continue to practice these illegally. As more young girls are married off at an early age to ease the financial burden on the family, the problem is only becoming worse. India is witnessing an increase in child marriage cases in recent years as a result of the loss of livelihoods brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
India has about 12 million married children, 70% of whom are female, according to the Census 2011. Child marriage deprives children of their fundamental rights of safety and protection, access to regular education, and proper health and nutrition, among others. Child marriage, on the other hand, blatantly violates their birthright and sets them up for a life of abuse and exploitation. Many disadvantaged children are still caught in the cycle of poverty that affects their overall development and even attacks future generations.
To help address the issue and work on constructive and effective solutions, CRY America, a non-governmental organization, has been supporting marginalized children since 2004. CRY America has helped create more than 700,000 happy childhoods and aims to create brighter futures for many more! Your generous contribution can help protect young girls from child marriage. Donate to charity by supporting CRY America now!
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