While India has made significant progress towards ending child marriage over the past 25 years, it is still the country with the most child marriages in the world. National laws define child marriage as a marriage involving a girl under 18 years, and/or a man under 21 years. This legal definition does not consider the complexity of the issue – its different drivers, forms and consequences – and a more nuanced understanding is needed if we are to use it to end the practice.
This guide – produced by Women Power Connect and the Socio-Legal Information Centre with support from Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage and the European Union – covers the causes and consequences of child marriage in India, the legal framework and how to use it in prevention work, and an up-to-date list of child marriage prohibition officers across the country.
Read this guide for:
- An overview of the causes and consequences of child marriage, including poverty, lack of education, control of girls’ sexuality and domestic violence
- An analysis of national child marriage data, trends and the impact of COVID-19
- An introduction to international and national laws to end child marriage, including examples of how they have been applied
- Tips on how to use the law to prevent child marriage, including legal counselling for children and adults, and how to report cases
- An up-to-date directory of protection officers, organised by State