Child Marriage Free India Campaign

• 29 Nov 2024

Why in News?

Recently, Union women and child development minister launched the “Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat Campaign” or child marriage free India campaign portal to help girls achieve their potential by checking practices such as child marriages.

• This campaign targets seven high-burden states: West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Tripura, Assam, and Andhra Pradesh.
• Focus areas include 300 districts where child marriage rates exceed the national average.
• The goal is to reduce the prevalence of child marriages to below 5% by 2029.

Key Points

• Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat Campaign:
  • The campaign advocates for legislative changes to ensure 18 as the minimum age of marriage without exceptions.
  • It provides legal protection for children and aims to prevent child marriages effectively.
• Role of the Child Marriage Monitoring Portal:
  • It will help monitor Child Marriage Prohibition Officers (CMPOs) with better supervision and evaluation.
  • User-friendly tools to encourage reporting by victims and witnesses.
  • Easy access to information for better communication and support.
• Multi-Pronged Approach to Address Child Marriage:
  • Focus areas include:
    • National Education Policy integration.
    • Health, financial security, and safety.
    • Social awareness campaigns.
• Citizen Participation and Gender-Inclusive Initiatives:
  • Citizens are encouraged to pledge to prevent child marriages and report cases to authorities.
  • The government has launched initiatives like Nari Adalats (women’s courts).
    • A Guide on Gender-Inclusive Communication to address gender biases.
  • Beti Bachao Beti Padhao initiative that aimed to bring societal change in perceptions toward the girl child.
• India’s Global Recognition in Reducing Child Marriages
  • India has been globally acknowledged, with UN reports attributing South Asia’s largest decline in child marriages to India's efforts.
  • In 2006, child marriage rates were 47.4% and in 2019-21 they are declined to 23.3%.
  • According to government data, child marriage rates have declined from 47.4% in 2006 to 23.3% in 2019-21.
• Supreme Court’s Role and Recommendations:
  • In October 2024, the Supreme Court ruled that the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 supersedes personal laws.
  • Recommendations include:
    • Community-driven approaches and preventive measures.
    • Multi-sectoral coordination and capacity building for law enforcement.
• Vision for a Developed India by 2047:
  • The campaign aligns with the broader goal of creating a developed India by 2047 with girls at the center of women-led development.

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Initiative

• It was launched in January 2015 with the aim to address sex selective abortion and the declining child sex ratio which was at 918 girls for every 1,000 boys in 2011.
• This is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Human Resource Development.