Development Schemes By Government :The Sukanya Samriddhi Scheme: An Account For Girls !

Child marriage is still a widespread practice in India, even though it was prohibited in 2006 with The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act. One of the main reasons why child marriage still occurs is that it is a social costume and therefore it is difficult to eradicate with a law. Another important reason is that other alternatives such as education are not easily accessible for children from marginal groups. A study has been carried out in New Delhi in 2008 regarding dropout cases in slum schools. It has been found that 57,6% of the children who dropped out school (in most cases in  Grade IX) were girls. The reasons of the drop-out are often related mainly to the financial constraint of the family. Families from marginal groups find difficult to pay school fees and other costs. In addition, the distance and not-so-safe road to reach the school has been addressed as one of the main reasons that leads girls to drop out. In fact, secondary schools are usually far away and girls claimed that they do not feel safe on the way to school and even that they fear to be assaulted. That is why many parents in India decide to marry their daughters when they are still children because they believe there is no other good option for a girl rather than marriage.

The government is trying to subsidize parents to keep their daughter in schools, as they are still children with a development scheme called Sukanya Samriddhi launched in January 2015. Parents can open an account for their daughter until she is no more than 10 years old. The minimum amount that has to be deposited every year is of Rs. 1000 and can be maximum Rs. 1,500,000 and the interest rate is 9.2 per cent. Money must be deposited for 14 years and the maturity duration is reached when the girl turns 21. It follows that after 14 years it is no more necessary to deposit any money but the interest will keep increasing for 7 more years.

Parents should be more likely to postpone the marriage after the girl has reached the age for the maturity of the account because they can use that amount of money to pay the marriage. Indeed, it is for economic reasons that lot of weddings take place when the girl is still a child; since weddings are expensive ceremonies and the dowry amount is low if the bride is still young, families tend to marry their younger children together with other older siblings’ weddings. Therefore, Sukanya Samriddhi scheme should deter parents from marry their daughters when they are still children. In this way, girls will remain in school longer and have a better education, which will give them the opportunity to find a better job.

Moreover, the scheme allows a partial amount (50 per cent) for withdrawal if the girl has turned 18, only if she intends to marry or for paying further education. This can help families to pay the tuition for their daughters’ higher education if they cannot afford it.

However, we found out that few people seem to be aware of this government scheme at the moment and that is why Heeals is going to explain it during the workshop about WASH, MHM and Child Marriage that will take place this month in some slum schools. Our aim is to help girl children remain in school, and to increase awareness of government programmes that they can take advantage of.

Marriage should not take place when a girl is still a child and should not be a solution to keep her safe.

Heeals Intern

Sources:

HEEALS Picture .

Rego, Anil. “Is Sukanya Samriddhi Scheme the best investment for your girl child?”. Rediff, 13 March 2015. Web. 09 Feb. 2017. <http://www.rediff.com/getahead/report/money-is-sukanya-samriddhi-scheme-the-best-investment-for-your-girl-child/20150313.htm> 

Anti Child Marriage Campaign

Anti Child Marriage Campaign; continuing our work to protect the education and health of girls in India here is our latest infograph. Another great reason to join #HEEALS!

Child Marriage in India: An illegal practice with a devastating impact

Child Marriage in India:

An illegal practice with a devastating impact

Image source: The Hindu

Amy McArthur       

06/01/2016

Child marriage remains one of the ugliest flaws in the fabric of contemporary Indian society. To most, it would seem incredible that the practice continues in many parts of the country today; but in fact, according to figures published by Unicef, a third of the world's child marriages take place in India, even though it has been declared illegal since 2006. In addition to this, the country caused international outrage in October 2013 when it refused to sign a UN resolution on early and forced marriage.

The evidence is stacked against child marriage: not only does it deny girls their right to a childhood, education and freedom of choice, but it may also physically endanger them in many ways: girls who give birth during adolescence are much more prone to complications during pregnancy or childbirth, and the infant mortality rate in India for women under twenty is a huge 76%. Marrying young also puts girls more at risk from sexually transmitted diseases, anaemia and hypertension among a host of other potential issues.

 When considering these facts the question is, why is it still such a widespread phenomenon? The answer is not a simple one. To start with, India, in practice, is still very much governed by religion and tradition, making it difficult to enforce laws that many consider to be an attack on their religious and cultural rights or beliefs. The problem is not restricted to a specific cultural group or geographical area, however. The majority of child marriages take place in impoverished and/or rural communities, which suggests that poverty, isolation and a lack of education are major factors in the perpetuation of this practice. Daughters in these areas are often seen as a financial burden on the family, and are therefore married off as soon as they are deemed old enough (sometimes as young as 12 or 13). The custom of giving dowries (a financial gift from the bride's family to the groom's), although also illegal, is commonplace, and as the dowry tends to be larger the older the girl is, they are married off young to avoid the financial pressure. Another factor that keeps child marriage in play is fear that the daughter may create a scandal by having sex or simply falling in love with someone before marriage or outside of her own caste. It is therefore common thinking that if a girl is married off young the risk of shame being brought on the family is reduced.

 Some steps are being taken in the right direction: several child brides have turned to the courts for justice, setting precedents that will make it easier to implement the Child Marriage Prohibition Act (CMPA). In September 2015, a historic case took place in Gujarat High Court: Muslim Personal Law was overridden by the CMPA, resulting in the conviction of a man who married a 16-year old girl. This sets an important precedent, meaning the CMPA now 'override[s] the provisions of Muslim Personal Law, Hindu Marriage Act or any personal law' (2015: Express News Service). However, cases of child marriage actually making it to court are relatively rare, and the costs involved are often unthinkable to girls living in poverty. As well as this, in many villages overlooked by the state because of their remoteness and impoverished situation the law is, understandably, a far away concept that does not directly affect the way they live.

It seems obvious that until women and girls cease to be treated as incapable of making decisions for themselves, as property to be effectively bought and sold by their male counterparts, the gender inequality problems India faces will not be going away anytime soon. Child marriage is the symptom of a disease that affects all levels of a society in which women are routinely abused, humiliated and treated as inferior entities, often to the indifference of the general public. If a change is to be made, child marriage needs to stop being seen as 'normal', and communities need to become aware that having educated, independent daughters who are able to earn money for themselves could be a long-term solution to the cycle of poverty. It needs to come from the bottom, and begins with education, with teaching women and girls how to see themselves as independent and valuable members of society. This doesn't have to mean a total rejection of culture or tradition; the important thing here is establishing and maintaining womens' and girls' right to make informed decisions for themselves on how they wish to live their lives.

To do this, grassroots action that is respectful of cultural traditions and beliefs and that directly involves the communities affected by child marriage is essential. There is no sense in pointing a proverbial gun at people’s heads and demanding that the practice cease immediately: a considerate approach involving open discussion and the participation of the community as a whole is extremely important. This is the idea behind Behaviour Change Communication programmes, such as those implemented by Heeals. These initiatives aim to change people’s attitudes towards women in a positive manner, and to help them reach the right decision for themselves, rather than having it imposed on them by an unknown faceless entity. It is through small, local actions like these that we can begin to truly make a difference in the lives of women and girls across India, and empower them to become valued members of society. 

Sources:

                       

●         Unicef:       http://unicef.in/Whatwedo/30/Child-Marriage

●      The Guardian:               http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/may/27/india-child-marriage-annulment-brides-go-to-court                 

●      The Times of India:    http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/On-world-stage-India-lets-down-its-child-brides/articleshow/24108817.cms                

●         The Indian Express:   http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/prohibition-of-child-marriage-act-to-prevail-over-personal-laws-hc/