Awareness campaign needed to combat Child Marriage

New Delhi, 03 March 2005
Launching of awareness programmes and campaigns through the media, the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and involving the Panchayats as well as Legal Services Authorities were some of the measures discussed at a meeting held recently to curb the wide spread prevalence of child marriages in parts of the country.
The meeting which was convened by the National Human Rights Commission and included high ranking officials from the Legislative Department in the Ministry of Law and Justice, The Department of Women and Child Development in the Ministry of Human Resources Development, Human Rights Division, Ministry of Home Affairs and National Commission for Women also discussed the current status of the proposed new Bill titled 'Prevention of Child Marriage Bill 2004'. The Bill, which was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on 20 December 2004 and which if approved, is expected to repeal the existing Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929 (CMRA).
It was suggested that the Department of Women and Child Development (DCWD), which is the Nodal Department of the Government of India could organize awareness programmes/campaigns highlighting the demerits of child marriages. In order to reach out to the local people, the three-tier system consisting of the Child Development Project Officers, Supervisors and Anganwadi workers under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) could be used to spread awareness against child marriages by the DWCD.
It was felt that awareness among the masses could also be generated by involving representatives of local self-governments/Panchayats.
Considering that hundreds of child marriages openly take place during Akshaya Tritiya (Akha Teej) in the month of April each year in the States of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, the meeting stressed on the need to organize a mass scale awareness programme so that the people especially in the rural areas are enlightened about the demerits of child marriages. To take preventive action for combating child marriages on the occasion of Akshya Tritiya, at the meeting it was suggested there is a need to issue instructions by the DWCD to the District Magistrates/Superintendents of Police. Similarly the concerned State Governments where child marriages were prevalent ought to contact the organizers of mass child marriages prior to Akshya Tritiya so as to warn them that in case they indulged in organizing child marriage(s) they would be prosecuted and punished under the provisions of the CMRA.
It was emphasized that the Priest who performs child marriages also needs to be cautioned as performing of child marriages is a criminal activity under the provisions of the Child Marriage Restraint Act (CMRA).
It was pointed out that the Ministry of Rural Development and the Ministry of Panchayati Raj could work out a set of instructions for Panchs and Sarpanchs on preventing child marriages and then disseminate the same all over the country for implementation.
It was decided that while organizing mass scale awareness programmes/campaigns on the demerits of child marriages at the village/ district/block level, different forms of mass media - both print and electronic should be used to sensitize the people.
It was suggested that a mass media campaign could also be organized jointly by the DWCD, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the NHRC to sensitize the public at large on prevention of child marriages, which invariably should highlight the demerits of child marriage from the health and legal point of view.
Besides this awareness generation programmes could be carried out by networking with the Legal Services Authorities spread all over the country.
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