The Times of India
Jan 13, 2013
Only education can end child marriage evil, say experts
AmmiKumari
RANCHI: It doesn't come as a surprise that child marriage is rampant in the state, which ranks third afterBiharand Rajasthan, as per the latest government data. Education is the only way to ward off this social evil, wasthe viewshared by experts at the state-level consultation on 'Empowering girls by addressing child marriage' on Wednesday. The event was organized byWomenPower Connect (WPC),Ford foundationand ChetnaVikas, an NGO.
As per various national reports, the percentage of child marriage inJharkhandis higher than the nationalaverage of 47%. According to the Annual Health Survey 2010-11, Jharkhand occupies the third position after Bihar and Rajasthan with 51.8% girls being married before 18 years.
Ganesh Reddy, secretary of Citizen Foundation, a city-based NGO, said, "Education plays an important role in addressing child marriage. If the girl is educated, she knows what is wrong and right for her and her family. The girl should be engaged in education till graduation. Right to Education (RTE) gives this right to each girl. This will help her in becoming a good human resource."
Sanjay Mishra, member of State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (CPCR), said there are many girls who are married off at a tender age and then sold to people in different states. Haryana tops the list as far as the number of girls being sold from Jharkhand is concerned. These girls mostly come from Dumka, Deogarh, Jamtara and West Singbhum and are schooldropouts."
RTE will prove to be beneficial in making their life meaningful. "We have also recommended the opening up of two Kasturba Gandhi Schools in each block to the SCPCR," he said.
With child marriage comes the issue of bigamy which is also widespread here. "There are many cases where the girl is not able to conceive and the husband marries other women. Child marriage is thus not an isolated issue," said SachiKumari, secretary, ChotanagpurSanskritikSangh( CSS).
It also affects the health of the girl child. She suffers from sexually transmitted diseases and is not able to handle the situation. "It's important to sensitize people rather than criticizing the government. Premature pregnancy is risky for the health of both the mother and child," said SandeepDutta, area manager, Child Fund India, afundingagency.
The mental make-up of the mother gets affected, which passes on to the child. "Every individual is unique and have unique qualities, which should be taught in the schools. This is called 'positive psychology'. A positive self image is the need of the hour. Gender sensitization is needed in schools where the kids can be taught to become compassionate and good human beings," said VandanaSahoo, a clinical psychologist.