CHENNAI : Around 33 per cent of child marriages take place in Tamil Nadu due to financial problems in the family, and 17 per cent due to fear of children falling in love, shows a study conducted by the Social Welfare department and Indian Council for Child Welfare along with UNICEF.
The study titled ‘Presentation of a retrospective appraisal on prevention of child marriages in Tamil Nadu’ was conducted to find out specific reasons for child marriages in Tamil Nadu and to form evidence-based documentation. The findings of the study were shared with the press on Monday here.
Around 1,636 child marriages were stopped by the State government in 2017. The study group reviewed these cases to identify the driving factors of child marriages in the State. The group found that there were two types of child marriage: One decided by the children themselves and the other decided by the family.
The reasons vary between these two types. The study shows that 95 per cent of marriages were decided due to love affair and four per cent of marriages due to broken family and no one being ready to take care, and one per cent due to pregnancy before marriage.
In arranged marriages, 33 per cent took place due to financial problems of the family. Around 17 per cent were due to fear of love and 11 per cent due to preferential marriage. Also 11 per cent were due to safety issues and sickness of family members, seven per cent due to family norms, and two per cent due to migration of parents and two per cent due to child education related issues.
Also two per cent were due to dowry, two per cent due to other reasons like illicit relationship of parents posing threat to the safety of the child, pre-marital pregnancy of the child. Around one per cent due to exchange of child for loan, and one per cent due to more number of children in the family.
During the field visits, the study team observed that unreported cases were more in number than reported cases. The cases are reported only through childline The field workers like Gram Sevika and Mukhya Sevika hardly identify child marriage cases on their own due to fear of community rejection.
1,636 child marriages were stopped in 2017
According to a study conducted by the Social Welfare department and the Indian Council for Child Welfare along with UNICEF, around 1,636 child marriages were stopped by the State government in 2017. The study group reviewed these cases to identify the driving factors of child marriages in the State. The group found that there were two types of child marriage: One decided by the children themselves and the other decided by the family