“Nothing should bring her down
From wearing her crown,
She keeps roaring,
Undoubtedly soaring!
Might look like a lily,
But she’s a lioness!”

INTRODUCTION:

After a long time, I spoke to a good old friend of mine and asked her about other friends and their lives and was shocked to know that one of our friends, a topper of our class was married after 10th grade. I was speechless because I always knew her passion and aim to study well. Not knowing if she willingly accepted it or was utterly forced into it, my heart ached. Not only this, but I also heard about another friend who had willingly accepted to marry immediately after her 12th grade even before attaining the age of 18. When I enquired more, it was said that they belonged to the same villages or villages with the same custom of Child marriage! This is what made me write about this very serious issue. How sad it is to see the young girls as brides. Girls are the major victims of this cruel act. Let us see more about this.

CHILD MARRIAGE IN THE PAST:

I’ve read about child marriages in history books where girls were married to men at the age of 12-14. Unlike today’s updated world, there was definitely no awareness at all and it led to the destruction of many girls' lives. However many prominent leaders like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, and Bal Gangadhar Tilak fought against it! Harbilas Sharda implemented the first act against child marriage- The child marriage restraint act, 1929 also popularly known as the “Sharda Act”. It would’ve been amazing if this evil had ended in the past itself.

STILL IN EXISTENCE:

Most of us think that child marriage is an issue that was in existence in the past decades and not much prevails today. But to tell the truth Child marriage is still one of the top 10 issues girls are facing worldwide. Statistics show that globally one in five girls is being forced into it before reaching the age of 18 in India. Awareness has been created, and laws have been implemented, yet it has no end. Young Girls in villages are forced to marry and surprisingly some girls willingly accept it while most of them deny it rigidly. The apt alternative for Child marriage is “forced marriage” where the dreams of the girls are shattered at a very young age. It’s heartbreaking to know that there was a drastic increase in child marriages during Covid times. The superstitious belief of the parents thinking of girl children as a burden is lasting till today even in the modern and developed world!

CRIES OF CHILDREN:

Thousands of children are being forced into marriage across the world which is so difficult to take in.

“I cried because I was too young to get married,” she continued. “I didn’t want to, I didn’t understand the meaning of marriage, and I was filled with fear."

The above-dejected statements were given by a girl named Gloria, a 12-year-old victim of the cruel act.

“I’m just a child," she said. "I’m just the way you see me. And I wouldn’t like anyone who is 14 to go through what I have been through.”

This is yet another cry of a girl called Doreen!

“Childhood is the happiest season of all the time”! But it has become a nightmare for all these girls which will leave them with a mental trauma for a lifetime. We cannot restore their childhood but not let another child lose her valuable childhood!

BUT WHY?

Why should a girl’s own parents force her into marriage? Why is her childhood seized?

Reasons:

• Poverty: Girls, not brides! Girls, not burdens! In poor families, where parents cannot afford to girl child’s education, force them to marry at a very young age.
• Dowry: If the girl’s family has to pay a dowry, the amount may be less if she is young and uneducated. We can see how poverty, dowry, and child marriage are interlinked and it is crucial to weed three of them by the roots.
• Illiteracy: To break the above said linkage, parents as well as the girl child should be educated. Education is the key. Illiteracy kills innocent girls.
• Gender equality: This is another big barrier for girls! Still, people believe that men are superior to women, and boys superior to girls. When equality rises, we can end this crisis.
• Religious and superstitious practices: When I hear everything that’s happening around the world, sometimes it makes me wonder, “Are we in the 21st century?”, “Are we the ones sending satellites to moon”, and “Are we the ones moving towards a glowing globe”? Because still many of us both educated and uneducated are stuck in the past, following superstitious beliefs. It’s high time we put an end to all of them and proceed toward empowerment and not opposition.

ASSAM IN ACTION:

When I came across the headline – “Cases of Child Marriage Increase in Guwahati, 23 In Last 4 months”, I could do nothing but grieve for those young girls and the hardship they have been going through. But surprisingly the cases in Assam started decreasing after the strict actions taken by the Chief Minister! It’s such a pleasure to hear that Assam is launching a drive against child marriage in September 2023! Not only Assam, but many states across India are trying their best to eradicate this evil! For instance, Maharashtra Government is planning to appoint Child marriage prohibition officers (CMPO) in the state which is incredible! It’s understood that Progress is being made – but not enough! It’s not about DECREASING the cases, but ENDING them because “Every child matters”.

MEASURES TAKEN ACROSS THE WORLD:

“Child marriage threatens the lives, well-being, and, futures of girls around the world”, says UNICEF, and the efforts they put in to abolish this is highly appreciated.

UNFPA says that Child marriage is common and takes place in every corner of the world and declares that empowering girls is vital to ending child marriage. Various actions and laws are being implemented all over the world which gives us an assurance of abolition of this act!

VOICING OUT:

“What I want young women and girls to know is: You are powerful and your voice matters.” - Kamala Harris.

"I want every girl to know that her voice can change the world” - MALALA YOUSAFSAI.

A Few years before a Video of Nada al-Ahdal, an 11-year-old girl who fled from her family to avoid being married off had been circulated online and she had said that though she had an uncle to turn to, many children have nowhere to turn.

That’s a sad truth, yet if children can voice out fearlessly and run for help like Nada, then this cruelty can be prevented! Children can get the help of a child-helpline number, ask for support from trusted ones, and should try their best to prevent themselves from being forced into a cursed life.

SMALL ACTIONS-BIG OUTCOME:

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” - Helen Keller.

The hashtag #ChildnotBride is popular and it should be inscribed in the minds of people. What can we do as an individual to help prevent Child marriage in practical ways? We should inform the Police and helpers as soon as we hear or come across events of Child marriages nearby. We should be ready to join campaigns and do whatever we can to stop this. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals call for global action to end this human rights violation by 2030 but with the support of society and the courage of the young girls, this violation will end soon.

CONCLUSION:

"Every woman's success should be an inspiration to another. We're strongest when we cheer each other on." - Serena Williams.

“The violence never stopped,” says a Sudanese woman – but neither did her hope.

And to all the victims of Child marriage, life has been so hard, but rise up! Fight for the young girls! Do not let what happened to you, happen to other girls! Let the world know the girl-power!

Let our precious young girls be saved!

May our God Almighty help the world to become Child marriage free!

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