Kerala cracks down on child marriages

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the latest census confirming the prevalence of child marriages in the state, the Social Justice Department has made it mandatory for child development protection officers (CDPOs) to keep a record of efforts made to check such marriages within their jurisdiction.

Census 2011 figures show that over two lakh boys and girls below the age of 19 are married in the state. Of this, 3,300 have been widowed before 19; and 2,758 have been either separated or divorced before 19.  

CDPOs have been ordered to initiate strict penal proceedings against parents pushing girls below 18 years into marriage.

CDPOs, who have been designated as child marriage prevention officers, have been trained to respond effectively in three situations: one, when a child marriage is about to take pace in a society; two, when a child marriage is taking place; and three, when a child marriage has already taken place.

Anganwadi workers have been asked to provide details of child marriages being planned within the catchment area of their respective anganwadi.

All actions taken either to prevent the marriage or take the parents to task should be meticulously recorded.  

That child marriages were more rampant than was thought became evident when the UDF government issued a circular in 2013 directing local bodies to register marriages of girls below the age of 18.

In just about 10 days, local bodies across the state received nearly 51,000 applications for registration of marriages involving girls below 18 years.

Most were from Malappuram and Palakkad districts.  The census figures, too, have confirmed the high prevalence in both these districts.  

“We have seen that child marriage will deprive a girl of education, compromise the emotional and physical health of the girl, and most importantly will deny her of a childhood,” said Meena C U, member of the State Commission for the protection of Child Rights.