NGOs point to adverse health impact of early marriage for women

ISSUES OF INFANT MORALITY RATE AND MATERNAL MORALITY RATE BEING IMPACTED BY CHANGES IN THE AGE OF MARRIAGE WERE ALSO RAISED

Non-government organisations (NGO) underlined the adverse health impact of early marriage and pregnancy on young women during a meeting of the Parliament’s standing committee on education, women, children, youth and sports to examine a proposal to raise the legal age of marriage, people familiar with the matter said on Monday. During the meeting chaired by BJP MP Vinay Sahasrabuddhe on the Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2021, issues of the infant morality rate and maternal morality rate being impacted by changes in the age of marriage were also discussed.

Health ministry officials, including health secretary Rajesh Bhushan, informed the panel that early marriage and early pregnancy adversely impact the health of both the mother and the child, said a person aware of the details.

Representatives of several NGOs such as Lado Panchayat and the Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation spoke in favour of the bill before the House committee as did the Women’s Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The bill that seeks to raise the legally permissible age for girls to marry from 18 years to 21 years was introduced by Union women and child development minister Smriti Irani amid protests from the Opposition on December 21 last year.

The bill was referred to Parliament’s standing committee for further discussions and in March it was given a threemonth extension.

If passed, the law will apply to all communities in the country and, once enacted, will supersede existing marriage and personal laws.