Juvenile Justice And Child Rights: Child Marriage
- IJLLR Journal
- 8 hours ago
- 2 min read
Anil Ramkrishna Gunnal, Bhagubai Changu Thakur College of Law, New Panvel
ABSTRACT
Traditional norms and cultural beliefs play a significant role in performing child marriages. Child marriage is a customary practice which affects not only growth of children but also affects a nation's economic growth and upper social values. Due to poverty along with lack of education, family members hurry in settling marriage of their kids before legal age. In addition to being a crime, child marriage is societal evil. Even though almost everyone agrees that child marriage is terrible, its prevalence as well as occurrence have been alarming. Practice of children getting married before reaching legal minimum age has been known as child marriage. Despite legislative prohibitions, children around world have nonetheless been getting married before they turn18. Child marriage has still been prevalent, with about 1in 5girls getting married, even though it has steadily decreased over last 10years. Child marriage compels young boys and girls for less education. It affects health issues. Early pregnancy causes fatal complications. It increases domestic violence due to immaturity in young couples. It kills childhood and decreases confidence level while making decisions in family-related matters. Entire dream of young boy and girl comes to an end, due to such early marriage. There are some laws in India, preventing child marriages. At present, PCMA (Prohibition of Child Marriage Act), 2006 is a comprehensive law providing for ban on the solemnization of child marriage and for issues related or incidental to it. The said act provides provisions for maintaining children along with custody of child marriages, child marriages’ effect, appointment of child marriage prohibition officer and their duties. It further provides power to courts in issuing injunctions banning child marriages etc. It is the duty of every individual in the society to take appropriate steps to curb child marriage by informing the Government Officials i.e. Child Marriage Prohibition Officers and the Court when they come to know any child marriage will be performed in their vicinity. Awareness campaigns regarding child marriage and its demerits are required to be arranged in rural areas and Gram Sabha, Panchayat Sabha and in other public functions and ceremonies in all levels including urban areas. The Government should encourage Non-Governmental Organisation (NGOs) for arranging such awareness programs to curb child marriages.
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