Odisha noticed 50 per cent rise in youngster marriages throughout pandemic

By Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR: Odisha noticed an 50 per cent rise in youngster marriages throughout Covid- 19 pandemic, the most recent report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has revealed. As per the report, 64 youngster marriages had taken place between 2020 and 2021, the very best within the final decade. In 2020, the variety of instances registered beneath The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, was 24 and 22 in 2019. In 2021, the variety of instances registered in Odisha was 2.7 occasions than that registered in 2020. In the final 10 years, the variety of youngster marriages held in Odisha stands at 164 which factors out that greater than 50 per cent of such marriages since 2011 have been registered in 2020 and 2021 alone.

The report factors out that no less than 50 minor women have been kidnapped/ kidnapped for marriage final yr. The quantity was 92 the earlier yr. Child rights activists really feel the variety of violations reported beneath The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act will likely be way more as a result of these are the one instances that have been reported to police. In rural pockets, not all instances are reported and FIR registered, they stated.

“There are many reasons which led to rise in such marriages during the pandemic, be it loss of livelihood, lack of monitoring by officials concerned and most importantly, closure of schools. Girls were restricted to their homes and the sudden economic pressure that their parents endured due to loss of livelihood forced many of them to marry off their daughters early,” stated Ghasiram Panda, an activist.

The NCRB knowledge, nonetheless, doesn’t corroborate with the National Family Health Survey- 5 (NFHS-5) which had discovered that youngster marriages within the State had declined by 0.8 % (laptop) within the final six years. While the NFHS-5 (2019- 21) states that round 20.5 laptop of girls aged 20-24 years received married earlier than attaining the authorized age of 18 years, it was 21.3 laptop in NFHS-4 (2015-16). Sources stated for the reason that pattern measurement taken for NFHS was small as a result of pandemic, the information on youngster marriages was restricted. The WCD division officers stated steps are being taken to finish the social evil.

BHUBANESWAR: Odisha noticed an 50 per cent rise in youngster marriages throughout Covid- 19 pandemic, the most recent report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has revealed. As per the report, 64 youngster marriages had taken place between 2020 and 2021, the very best within the final decade. In 2020, the variety of instances registered beneath The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, was 24 and 22 in 2019. In 2021, the variety of instances registered in Odisha was 2.7 occasions than that registered in 2020. In the final 10 years, the variety of youngster marriages held in Odisha stands at 164 which factors out that greater than 50 per cent of such marriages since 2011 have been registered in 2020 and 2021 alone.

The report factors out that no less than 50 minor women have been kidnapped/ kidnapped for marriage final yr. The quantity was 92 the earlier yr. Child rights activists really feel the variety of violations reported beneath The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act will likely be way more as a result of these are the one instances that have been reported to police. In rural pockets, not all instances are reported and FIR registered, they stated.

“There are many reasons which led to rise in such marriages during the pandemic, be it loss of livelihood, lack of monitoring by officials concerned and most importantly, closure of schools. Girls were restricted to their homes and the sudden economic pressure that their parents endured due to loss of livelihood forced many of them to marry off their daughters early,” stated Ghasiram Panda, an activist.

The NCRB knowledge, nonetheless, doesn’t corroborate with the National Family Health Survey- 5 (NFHS-5) which had discovered that youngster marriages within the State had declined by 0.8 % (laptop) within the final six years. While the NFHS-5 (2019- 21) states that round 20.5 laptop of girls aged 20-24 years received married earlier than attaining the authorized age of 18 years, it was 21.3 laptop in NFHS-4 (2015-16). Sources stated for the reason that pattern measurement taken for NFHS was small as a result of pandemic, the information on youngster marriages was restricted. The WCD division officers stated steps are being taken to finish the social evil.