What are the disadvantages of child marriages?
Child means a person who, if a male, has not completed 21 years of age, and if a female, has not completed 18 years of age. It is treated as child marriage if the contract between any two people of which either one or both parties is a child.
The disadvantages of child marriage are as follows:
• There is a risk of under-age pregnancy
• The trafficking and sale of girls becomes easier
• The immature children who are newly married are often pushed into a family system.
• There is an increase in the rate of abortions, premature births which may result in infant mortality and the death of mothers.
• Handicapped child births or dead child births
• Mental as well as physical health problems.
• Obstacle for study.
• Hurdle for physical growth
• the children become child labourers for family maintenance.
Why has domestic violence become a common practice? Find out the reasons.
Domestic violence is the violence that women suffer in their homes.
There are several attempts made to stop domestic violence, but it has become a very common practice these days due to the following reasons:
• There are differences or changes in the nature and range of violence, the women subjected to and it is a major challenge for the development of women across the world.
• The domestic violence is not alone pertaining to individual or family, and it has certain politics behind it according to women movements being carried out in the last twenty years.
• Certain special Acts have been formulated based on women protests and movements.
• However, these Acts are not being implemented in its proper spirit, proper sensitivity and awareness should be created with effective monitoring towards women issues among the machinery of implementation such as police, and other assisting agencies.
• The National and International governments have taken up certain declarations and resolutions in order to stop violence against women, though the family and community supporting the violence.
You have read about various problems of girls and women. Have you noticed any sort of these problems in your village/ town? Specify them and what is to be done?
There are many problems that girls and women face in day to day life. These problems are not restricted to a particular place as such. Even in my village, I have encountered several such women who have gone through such problems. The following are some of the problems they face:
• Girls and women face domestic violence in their homes. It affects their mental and physical health.
• Most of the women can’t dare to move freely.
• Similarly, girls are hesitating to go to schools.
• Many men and boys often tease girls using indecent words.
• They are tortured, beaten up and insulted at all the places.
Even though the government has taken steps to prevent such use of violence against women, there has not been proper change in their conditions. This is mainly because of the following reasons:
• Girls and women are not aware of their rights and duties.
• They do not know the laws properly.
• Also, there are no proper empowerment activities.
• There is no proper implementation of government policies and laws.
Hence, if these steps are taken proper care of, then the women and girls will get a better life.
Many acts are made by the government. What do you suggest for better implementation?
The government has taken several steps for the prevention of violence against women. Some of them are as follows:
• The government has formulated and amended from time to time laws related to girl infanticide, domestic violence, educating the girl child, etc.
• The men and women shall possess equal rights in the matters of family property and its management.
But in order to ensure much more safety to the women, the government needs to take additional steps such as the following:
• The government has to take steps in the proper identification of violence, protecting the victims and punishing the culprits
• Making all legal and judicial systems and mechanisms accessible to the women suffering with domestic violence.
• The information pertaining to protective measures and taking help of the law must be provided to everyone.
These guidelines were also given in the Beijing declaration.
• There should also be proper implementation of the government rules and regulations.
• There should be empowerment programmes conducted.
• Men and women should be provided with equal right to life and dignity.
Write an essay on general problems, the women facing?
Women face many problems in real life at their homes, work places and all the places they stay or work at. The general problems that they face include many. Women face problems like violence, sexual harassment, dowry system, child marriage, female infanticide, eve teasing, rapes, domestic abuse and many others in their day to day life. Because of these problems, they are unable to prosper in their lives.
Women in Indian society have been considered to be inferior to men for many years. Because of such inferiority, they suffer even today. They have to go extra miles to prove themselves to be equivalent to men. Many people, even today, consider that women should not be allowed to go outside the house as they are a means of destruction. They still treat women as a puppet in their hands. Women are forced to work only in the house holds where as men do all the other work which fall outside the purview of the household chores. Women are also not given the choice to choose the way of their life. The choices are made by their fathers or brothers to which they have to agree. Women in most of the rural areas are not even allowed to participate in extra activities apart from cooking, cleaning the house and feeding the children.
The condition of women in the cities is better when compared to that of the women in rural areas. Women in the cities have better livelihood opportunities. They are not forced to stay in the house and work all the time in the house. Women in the cities have found ways and have started working in some offices. But still, the problems did not stop. Women are subjected to violence at home and even at workplaces. Even during the times of marriage, the bride groom asks for the dowry which the parents of the bride feel like a burden because of a girl child. Even after marriage, her condition is no better. The husband treats her cruelly and sometimes may also treat her like a servant in his house. Even outside the house, women are subjected to several physical assaults.
Women still face many problems today, and the government always has the responsibility to protect women and safeguard their rights.
Imagine that you are Tehsildar. How would you prevent child marriages?
If I am a Tehsildar, I would have followed the following steps to prevent child labour:
• I would have arranged facilities to empower the girls with information, skills and provide them with support networks.
• I would have provided them with economic and supportive incentives to girls and their families so that they need not depend on any one else for their livelihood.
• Even the parents of the children should be educated about the bad effects of child marriages and this shall be promoted.
• The community members shall also be trained properly.
• The girl children will be provided with opportunities to enhance their access to high quality education.
• Also, I would see that the policies and laws would be implemented and followed properly.
• In order for the next generation of development programs to make ending child marriage a priority, I would make strategies while continuing to test innovative approaches and evaluation techniques.