*Rampant child marriages in AP raise concern* ------------------------------ ndtv.com
Uma Sudhir/Radhika Iyer Wednesday, February 14, 2007 (Srikalahasthi): Fifteen-year-old Rekha was married off in June last year and her friend Renuka on Sivaratri day four years ago. Both the girls from Srikalahasti in Chittoor district have now been abandoned by their husbands. "I abide by what my parents say but I don't think I want to marry ever again,'' said Renuka, abandoned bride. Social activists say these are not isolated instances. A survey in 2006 of 70 child brides in Nalgonda district is an eye-opener. Twenty-eight child brides suffered mental depression and were keen to walk out of marriage after sexual and physical abuse. "Till we are able to stand on our own feet, we should not be married. What happened to me should not happen to any other girl," said Narsamma, child bride. Activists say a 12-13 year old is usually not able to cope. Three children committed suicide, while six children had an abortion and many developed related health-problems. Fourteen girls had a divorce while two of them died. Eight husbands remarried because they were not satisfied with their wives. Manemma is one such child who can't even speak of her humiliation. Only four child brides could be persuaded to get out of marriage and rejoin school. "If this is the story of 70 children, you can imagine what is happening to our girls. You can't come out with sops, come out with beautiful posters saying let us support adolescent girls. It is a hard programme," said Shanta Sinha, child rights activist. "We must see they are not married off, that they continue in school, there should be adequate girls hostels, residential programmes, we must protect the girls, see them through education properly,'' she added. Average age for marriage in Andhra Pradesh is 15 years. Child marriage is rampant and widespread. That perhaps also explains the poor human development indices like high child and maternal mortality rates. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Ours is a battle not for wealth or for power. It is a battle for freedom. It is a battle for the reclamation of human personality." - Dr BR Ambedkar ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ greenyouth mailinglist is the activist support mailinglist for kerala run by Global Alternate Information Applications (GAIA) To post to this group, send email to [email protected] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
