Child marriages thrive in Chennai city
Child marriages thrive in city: Study blames rapid urbanisation, migrant workers.
By : ar. meyyammai
Update: 2013-12-08 12:05 GMT
Madurai: If you thought child marriages were confined to villages, think again. Chennai is the state’s child marriage capital going by a study by a non-profit organisation, Littles Trust of Madurai.
While the city accounting for 13.39 per cent of child marriages, is ahead of nine other districts, Madurai comes a close second, with 11.6 per cent.
“Rapid urbanisation and a large number of migrant workers are mainly to blame for the high prevalence of child marriages in Chennai,” says T.V.Parvata Vardhini of Littles Trust, adding that caste plays a major role in promoting it in Madurai and other southern districts.
The study covered 112 female children who were all were married before they turned 18. Of the districts covered, Krishnagiri and Dindigul account for 10.71 per cent of child marriages each and Salem, Erode, Tiruchy, Ramanathapuram, Sivagangai and Perambalur, 8.92 per cent each.
Between 76 and 82 per cent of the girls blamed lack of accessibility to high and higher secondary schools for their early marriages. Forty nine per cent of the girls had dropped out of school and were married when they were between 15 and 17 years old. Ninety per cent of these marriages were solemnised by the village head or temple priest.
While 50 per cent of the minors were first born, 33 were second born. “ Being the first born in a family still impacts lives in marginalised sections,” says Vardhini.
A big section of the girls, 49 per cent, were from dalit families. “The dalit children are given in marriage when very young as their parents fear for their safety,” she explains. The study was done in association with CRY and Samakalvi Iyakkam.
Next: Minor saved from marriage to 27-yr-old
Minor saved from marriage to 27-yr-old
Ramanathapuram: A child marriage was prevented in Kamudhi in the district on Saturday. According to official sources, the marriage of a 16-year-old girl, daughter of a farmer of Ramasamypatti, near Kamudhi, currently studying class 10, was scheduled to take place on Monday. Her parents had decided to get her married to R. Tirumurugan (27), son of Ramaraj of the same village, who is working in Singapore.
Invitations were distributed to their relatives and all arrangements were on for the marriage. On a complaint received by Childline, its organiser Balamurugan and social welfare officer Priya went to the village and held talks with the parents to make them understand that the girl should not be given in marriage until she completes 18 years of age.
They were warned that they would have to face two years’ imprisonment with a fine of Rs1 lakh if the illegal marriage was conducted.