Odisha child rights panel opposes move to raise marriage age of girls

BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (OSCPCR) has opposed the union government's move to raise the minimum legal age of marriage for women from 18 to 21 years. Rather, it has proposed to bring down the minimum marriage age of men to 18.

OSCPCR chairperson Sandhyabati Pradhan on Tuesday wrote to chairperson of Parliament Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth & Sports, Vinay Sahasrabuddhe in this regard. Notably, the Centre introduced the Prohibition of Child Marriage Bill, 2021 in Lok Sabha on December 21, 2021, which was later sent to the Parliamentary panel led by Sahasrabuddhe for review.

"That change of legislation in isolation will never be able to stop child marriage, unless there is socio behavioural change among the parents and community. Factors like distress and poverty, patriarchal norms and practices, lack of opportunity for schooling, employment and the like are still contributing in a large extent in prevalence of child marriage," Pradhan said. There is also a need to strengthen families by providing appropriate livelihood opportunities, she said. The Juvenile Justice Care and Protection Act and schemes like Integrated Child Protection Scheme have the scope to extend support to such vulnerable children only up to the age of 18. In such circumstances, there will be no space to provide support to a child bride/groom in between the age of 19 to 21 if rescued from child marriage, she pointed out. (IANS)

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