Women literacy up, child marriages down: Minister
in Rajasthan are getting literate and it was evident from the fact that child marriages have declined in the state to 35% from 65%, said women and child development minister Anita Bhadel on Sunday.
“Now, we have to bring this figure to zero, which will be a challenge to us,” she said, while addressing elected women representatives and students on the concluding day of Aao Sath Chale, a state-level programme launched on the occasion of International Women’s Day on March 8.
Bhadel said education is the only way to protect women from social evils. “Education empowers women and develops leadership qualities among them.”
Speaking on the occasion, health minister Kali Charan Saraf said women are no less than men in any way. “We have to bring change in the male dominated society to provide women their rights,” he said.
Higher education minister Kiran Maheshwari said, “Girls are very special; without girls and women, we cannot imagine a healthy society. Child marriage is ill-practice, and all elected representatives should work in order to stop it.”
UNFPA chief Diego Palacios said UNICEF and state government are doing a good job to curb child marriages.
“If all sections of the society work collectively to stop child marriage, the situation will be better,” she said.
Child development department secretary Kuldeep Ranka said this is for the first time International Women Day has been celebrated for a week in the state.