Oppressed for generations, women cane cutters in Maharashtra continue to work in inhuman conditions, shows study
Women cane cutters are required to work for 13 to 18 hours a day without any weekly rest day. They work even during illness, menstruation, pregnancy or delivery, which affects their health, the study said
COVID-19 crisis risks reversing gains made against child marriage in India; legal revisions alone aren't solution
Despite legal interventions over the years, India has the largest number of child brides in the world, according to a 2019 report published by UNICEF; one-third of the global total.
Underage girls for sale in Hyderabad: First as a bride, then a sex slave as part of 'contract marriage' racket in city
A contract marriage is a prevalent practice in the city involving agents and Gulf nationals, who arrive in India on a visitor visa
WCD ministry wants law ministry on board after PIL filed in Delhi HC seeks uniform age of marriage for men, women
The Ministry of Women and Child Development told the Delhi High Court on Wednesday that the Law Ministry be also taken on board to deal with the issue of fixing a uniform age of marriage
Ill-equipped private madrassas in Assam ignore child rights, junk formal education; girl students often end up as child brides
The private madrassas are one of the key reasons for low rate of income among the Muslim community as hardly anyone graduating from these ill-equipped institutes will have a chance to survive in today's competitive job markets.
Odisha sets up task force to prevent child marriages in Koraput; officials from police, health, education departments to be part of body
Child marriage is the main reason for high rates of infant mortality, maternal mortality, and malnutrition
DCW chairperson Swati Maliwal writes to Narendra Modi demanding law against Nikah Halala, polygamy
Delhi Commission For Women chairperson Swati Maliwal Thursday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a law against Nikah Halala and polygamy
51% fall in number of girls between age 15-19 getting married in India, finds report: India's performance improves in child health, education
The number of girls in India in the age group of 15-19 years who are currently married is down 51 percent since 2000, and the country's average performance across a set of indicators related to child health, education, labour, marriage and violence has improved, a new report has said.
Child marriage, malnutrition plague tribal children in Odisha's Nagada; villagers, mostly illiterate, pin hope on govt for healthcare facilities
Although largely clueless about politics and political leaders, the villagers of Nagada in Odisha continue to pin their hopes on the state government to take care of their health, development and infrastructure needs.
Bombay HC decision to stay criminal proceedings against man accused of raping minor wife disrespects rights of rape survivors
The Bombay HC's reasoning behind staying criminal proceedings against a man accused of raping minor wife in a recent case fails to justify why someone facing allegations of grave sexual offences like rape should be allowed to ‘negotiate’ his way out of the crime
Child marriage rampant in West Bengal's Malda, but parties believe addressing social evil would be political suicide
Despite the high prevalence of child marriage in West Bengal's Malda district, very few police cases get reported, and the rate of conviction is even more abysmal.
In Kerala's Malappuram, underage girls brainwashed into marriage with promises of mobile phones, freedom to step out
Child marriage survivors in Kerala's Malappuram district say they agreed for early marriages to get access to mobile phones and the freedom to go out of the house
World Bank report says child marriage costs African countries billions; West Africa has highest rate of marriage before 15
Every year of secondary education reduces the likelihood of marrying before the age of 18 by five percent or more, it added in the report, "Educating Girls and Ending Child Marriage".
Women and Child Development Ministry set to move Cabinet in a bit to make child marriages invalid
Currently, child marriages are valid in India, but can be annulled if a case is filed in a district court by either of the two contracting parties within two years of becoming an adult, or through a guardian in case of minors.
An NGO in Rajasthan is helping annul child marriages, but the practice is unlikely to die out soon
Child marriage is a problem which has no easy solution. The Sharada Act, also known as the Child Marriage Restraint Act, was passed in 1929. Much water has flowed under the bridge since then. India got her independence. There have been amendments to the act and a new law itself was passed. Yet, 89 years later, underage children are still being married off in the name of tradition or “for their own safety and good”.
Ailing mother marries off minor to 23-year-old woman in Andhra Pradesh after being fed up of husband
A 13-year-old boy was married off to a 23-year-old woman in Upparahal village in Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool district, police said
'Legalise child marriages': BJP MLA Gopal Parmar's solution to end 'love jihad' harks back to 19th Century
Incidents like 'love jihad' occur because people wander when they aren't hitched "on time", BJP MLA Gopal Parmar from Madhya Pradesh has said.
Dalit bridegrooms on horses are pushing caste barriers, challenging status quo in India
Over the last couple of years, Dalit weddings have been interrupted by upper castes in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.
Marathwada Diary: How mass migration, illiteracy and low farm yield feeds into rampant child marriage in rural Maharashtra
Migration often forces early marriages in Marathwada. Around 300,000 farmers and labourers leave Beed during the harvest season and migrate to western Maharashtra's Kolhapur, Sangli and Satara districts, or to Karnataka's Belgaum district
NHRC asks states to adopt zero-tolerance policy for child marriages as India sees 3,600 cases every day
With India recording around 3,600 child marriages every day, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has asked states to strictly enforce the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act