State home to 23 percent child marriages in country

BENGALURU: Karnataka accounts for 23.2 percent of child marriages in the country. The practice is prevalent in almost all districts according to the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR). This was divulged at the state-level consultation on ending child marriages in which the Karnataka State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR), World Vision, UNICEF and child rights NGOs participated. They discussed the gaps in the laws and implementation of more effective policies to curb this social menace in the state’s urban and rural areas. Dr Kripa Alva, Chairperson, Karnataka State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR) said, “The practice is prevalent in almost all the districts of Karnataka. Hence, we need strong framework of policies to ensure the safety and rights of girl child.”

According to KSCPCR, North Karnataka suffers the most from this social evil, with Yadgir, Belgavi, Bagalkote, Ballari and Kalaburgi being some of the worst affected districts. It also added that Karnataka has a five-year target to eliminate child marriage. Mathai Kutty, Senior Program Manager, World Vision India, said, “In many instances, after child marriage, a girl child is forced to play the role of an adult woman at a very early age. Child marriage has a direct impact on the health of the girl child and they face high risk delivery complications during child birth.”