Child marriage is an age-old practice to get girls married at a tender age, sometimes, at as young as 11.
While culture plays a role in child marriages, other factors such as immutable patriarchal structure, regressive social norms, prejudiced mindset, lacunas in law implementation, poverty, and lack of education exacerbate them.
Isolated and with limited freedom, married girls often feel disempowered. Child marriage deprives them of their fundamental rights to health, education, and safety. With little or no access to education, they are unaware of their rights and can fall victim to domestic violence. Child marriage and poverty are intertwined. With no economic opportunities at their disposal, they and their families live in a state of perpetual poverty.
