Child marriage cases still prevalent in West Bengal. Why so?

Recently, a study has been published in The Lancet. According to the study, four states in the country actually summed up for a majority, i.e. more than half of the country's child marriage cases in girls. These four states are Maharashtra (accounting for 8.2% of cases), Uttar Pradesh (accounting for 12.5% of cases), West Bengal (accounting for 15.2% of cases), and Bihar (accounting for 16.7% of cases). Fortunately, there has been an overall decrease in the number of child marriage cases all over the country.

What does the study say?

The study states that in India, one in every five girls is made to marry before they touch the legal age even today. While the study points to the fact that almost all states of the country have successfully shown improvement in the situation, some states are still struggling to combat social evil, especially West Bengal.

As per the paper, it is in West Bengal that the largest absolute increase in the headcount is seen. The state represents an increase of 32.3% in headcount. The statistics thus make West Bengal the state with the largest absolute increase, having about 5,00,000 girl child marriage situations.

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What have other studies found in the past?

Child marriage has always remained an issue of concern in the state of West Bengal. For instance, in the years 2019-2020, a National Family Health Survey-5 was carried out. The survey stated that in West Bengal, the women between the ages of 20 to 24 who were actually married before they turned 18 accounted for 41.6 percent of such cases all across the country. What is even more surprising is the fact that this percentage was the same even in the National Family Health Survey-4.

Additionally, the National Family Health Survey-5 also stated that it is in the Murshidabad district of West Bengal that accounts for the highest percentage of girl-child marriage cases.

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Legislative interventions in the state

Seeing the concerning issue, the government of West Bengal has brought forward a myriad of policy interventions to cease the practice of child marriage in the state.

One of the most prominent of these actions remains the Kanyashree Prakalpa launched in October 2013. The Kanyashree Prakalpa scheme stands as a conditional cash transfer scheme. The aim of the scheme is to incentivize the schooling of all young girls in the state between the ages of 13 to 18, thereby discouraging child marriage as well in tandem. In these 10 years of the scheme, it has managed to fulfill its aims, and thus, has been recognized internationally with a United Nations Public Service Award 2017. 

However, a recent study by the Lancet depicts that the problem of girl-child marriage is still prevalent in the state of West Bengal. 

The state also brought forward the Rupashree Praklpa scheme. However, there are many cases wherein families access the cash benefits they get through such schemes, and rather use this money to organize the wedding of their minor daughters, rather than educate them.

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