Abstract

This report by the Centre for Budget and Policy Studies in collaboration with UNICEF, addresses the persistent and widespread issue of child marriage in India, where approximately 30% of women aged 20-24 were married before the age of 18. Despite some progress, with the rate of child marriage decreasing from 1% per year between 1990 and 2005 to about 2% per year over the past decade, child marriage remains prevalent, especially in rural areas and among poorer households. The report highlights significant correlations between child marriage, poverty, low levels of education, and entrenched social norms.

The purpose of this report is to develop a scalable model to accelerate the reduction of child marriage, building on global evidence and UNICEF’s extensive experience in India. The report underscores the inadequacy of small-scale projects and advocates for leveraging existing government services and schemes. To this end, the report provides a comprehensive analysis of the drivers of child marriage and the factors that promote its decline. It identifies widely accepted social norms, economic considerations, lack of access to education, and political factors as key drivers of high prevalence. Conversely, it identifies access to quality education, women’s empowerment, social protection incentives, public opinion advocacy, and stricter law enforcement as critical drivers of change.

The report emphasizes the importance of context-specific strategies, acknowledging that patterns and prevalence of child marriage vary significantly across regions. It outlines three broad contexts for targeted intervention: areas with high prevalence and deeply entrenched norms, areas with moderate prevalence, and areas with low prevalence. This tailored approach aims to effectively address the complex and varied landscape of child marriage in India, providing a roadmap for large-scale, sustainable reduction efforts.

Jha, J., Minni, P., Priya T, S., & Chatterjee, D. (2016). Reducing child marriage in India: a model to scale up results. New Delhi: United Nations Children's Fund.