Child marriage accounts for a third of school drop-outs: UNFPA

JAIPUR: Child marriage accounts for up to a third of young girls dropping out of school, said a United National Population Fund (UNFPA) report released in Dausa on Monday to highlight the urgency to stop child marriage.

“By the age of 10, she may be pulled out of school, be forced to marry, start a family and look after her husband and children,” said Diego Palacios, UNFPA representative in India and country director Bhutan.

“Efforts should be made to improve enrolment in secondary and higher education for girls in India. Due to early marriage, there is only early pregnancy and low economic participation in India,” said Palacios.

India is home to 10-12 million of the world’s 60 million 10-yearold 35 million girls live in countries with high gender inequality Empowering girls can triple a girl’s lifetime income, boost growth and have healthier, better educated children 62 million adolescent girls are not in school today Each additional year of a girl’s schooling translates into a 10% increase in wages later Every day, an estimated 47,700 girls under 18 are married in developing countries girls, yet the family, community and institutions block her safe and healthy transition through adolescence into adulthood.

UNFPA State of World Population 2016 report on ‘How 16 million girls between 6 and 11 years will never start school HIV/AIDS is the leading cause of death in adolescent girls An adolescent girl dies of violence every 10 minutes Girls risk exposure to gender inequality, child marriage, genital mutilation, forced or coerced sex, unintended pregnancy Child marriage accounts for up to a third of girl school dropouts our future depends on a girl at this decisive age of 10’ was released on Tuesday in Dausa to focus on child-marriage free Rajasthan.

Less than 30% women in India are participating in economic workforce. India loses 56 billion dollars a year in potential earnings because of adolescent pregnancy, high secondary dropout rates and joblessness among young women.

“The Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign has to go a long way in Rajasthan. In India, women and young girls are not allowed to use cell phones because of a belief that such exposure will misguide them,” he said.

“A 10-year old girl who is blocked from completing her education means that sustainable development goal 4 (quality education for all) will also be unattainable. Without quality education, that girl will not acquire skills to earn a better income and find decent work, as sought in goal 8. Goal 3 on health and well being at all ages is not feasible for a girl at risk of HIV or early pregnancy,” he said.