Despite being legally prohibited, child marriages persist.
Story so far: The government-run Vanivilas Women and Children’s Hospital in Bengaluru reported that teenage pregnancies composed 30% of the pregnancies it recorded. Of the more than a thousand teen pregnancies, 70% were caused due to child marriage practices, with most cases from the lower socio-economic strata.
- The hospital is legally mandated to report all cases of teen pregnancies to the police, regardless of marital status. The husbands are subsequently booked under the POCSO Act, 2012. They are also booked under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006.
- The hospital identifies underage girls from hospital forms and Aadhaar cards, and the police gather the DNA and age determination tests as evidence.
Why it matters? Last year, government data showed that despite child marriage being outlawed, the city witnessed an uptick in reported child marriage cases. The increase in teen pregnancies due to child marriage is problematic because of its ramifications on women’s health. Teenagers have a higher risk of complications like labour abnormalities, anaemia and malnutrition.
- A doctor reports that among the married teens, several are girls who eloped. Arresting the husband leaves them bereft of their only source of emotional and financial support.