Bihar girls speak to ‘Elders' of child marriage

Patna:  Speaking out against child marriage, some youths in Bihar, particularly girls, have impressed The Elders, a visiting group of world leaders led by Nobel laureate Desmond Tutu.

Bihar is believed to have the highest prevalence of child marriage in India.

The Elders, led by anti-apartheid icon Archbishop Tutu of South Africa, were on a two-day visit to the state.

"It was a positive sign that girls were against child marriage as they understood the risks of getting married before adulthood and boys were also not ready to support child marriage," said Gro Harlem Brundtland, former Norway prime minister and director general of WHO, after visiting Phulwar village in Patna district.

Tutu, along with former Irish president and UN high commissioner for human rights, Mary Robinson, and Gandhian social activist Ela Bhatt, interacted with 20 young boys and girls at the village.

Robinson pointed out that another important element was the rising trend of education among girls. "Most of the girls told members of The Elders that they were eager to pursue studies and wanted to join college before marriage," she said.

Unhappy

Bhatt said girls in Bihar are fully aware of the risks of child marriage. "It will help us fight against child marriages," she said.

Bhatt, the founder of India's Self Employed Women's Association, said The Elders would fight against child marriage in Bihar.

However, The Elders were unhappy with the prevailing situation in India with regard to child marriages. They have expressed concern over the high rate of child marriage in Bihar and urged people and the government to work to end the age-old practice. Tutu said The Elders were to launch a campaign against social evils such as child marriage in the state.

"We have selected to visit Bihar as the state happens to be one of the Indian states with the highest prevalence [69 per cent] of marriage among girls under 18," he said.

It is illegal for girls under 18 and boys under 21 to marry in India.

"There are many loopholes in the implementation of Indian laws on child marriage... There is a need to encourage positive schemes for overall development," Brundtland said.

Tutu said The Elders wanted to appeal to male leaders of developing countries that "unless we set our women free, we will remain backwards".