Berhampur: Malkangiri district has recorded the highest number of child marriages in the state at 39.3 per cent while Ganjam stands second at 29.8 per cent, says a National Family Health Survey.
Child marriages continue unabated despite the presence of a 90 year-old law to curb the practice, a report said Thursday. It has become difficult to control child marriages and it is increasing in the state.
This was stated here by speakers attending a seminar on ‘Rescue and Rehabilitation of Victims Affected by Child Marriage and Trafficking’ organised by the Social Welfare Board at the Town Hall in the Silk City Wednesday. The only remedy is to create social awareness to make people understand the evils of child marriage.
Latika Pradhan, Chairperson of the State Social Welfare Board, presided at the seminar. Mayor K Madhavi of the Berhampur Municipal Corporation was the chief guest.
BeMC Commissioner Chakraborty Singh Rathore, BDA chairperson Subhash Moharana, ASP Shantanu Das, District Social Welfare Officer Manorama Reddy and Secretary SK Qutubuddin of the Social Welfare Board were the other guests.
The speakers, quoting a declaration of UNICEF, said that girls should not be given away in marriage before they are 18 as it is a violation of their human rights.
A girl married off at an early age faces several health and psychological complications which often are the reasons behind the rising maternal and infant mortality in the state.
Odisha is at the 13th position in maternal and infant mortality at the all- India level
They said although child marriages were declared illegal in 1929, the practice is still prevalent in Indian society due to poverty, superstitions and poor-socio economic conditions.
The speakers said that child marriages have seen an increase due to the orthodox values of people, superstitions and lack of education. The evil practice continues unabated although the government has enacted ‘The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act-2006’ to end the evil.
The SC had declared that establishing a sexual relationship with a minor wife is a crime while hearing a case on sexual exploitation of a minor girl in 2017. However, there is no let-up in the evil practice.
Similarly, human trafficking is another organised crime. Around 2,000 persons have been trafficked outside the state during last two years. The situation is most acute in tribal areas of the state, the speakers said.