Child Marriage in the State is on Rise Says UNICEF

Kerala State or the Most Southern State have a good gender balance but from few year there is an increase in the number child marriage in Kerala State despite of being most literate state of India.

“In the southern part of India we have a relatively better gender balance which explains lower rates of child marriage. Nevertheless, recent studies have shown a rising rate in Kerala,” UNICEF’s Child Protection Specialist in India Dora Giusti said.

Giusti attributed the phenomenon in the state, considered India’s most literate, to migration from the northern part of the country. “Child marriage is more common among certain groups and among disadvantaged communities. In Kerala it was not the case even a few years back, but of late there has been a rise in it due to migration from the northern part of India,” Giusti explained.

According to a UNICEF report, in India there were more child marriages in rural areas than urban. While 52.5% of currently married women in age group 20-24 years in rural areas and 28.2% in urban areas got married before they were 18 years.

Bihar has the highest incidence of child marriage at 68% while Himachal Pradesh with around nine% has the lowest incidence, it stated. Six states — Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal — have the highest incidence of child marriage ranging from 51.9% to 68.2%, the report revealed.

Src- http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-child-marriage-on-rise-in-kerala-unicef-2014606

Found Useful? Do Share: Child Marriage in the State is on Rise Says UNICEF: