The Indian government has cleared a proposal to raise the minimum age of marriage for women from 18 to 21, according to media reports, as women’s rights activists fear the move could lead to a “real disaster”.
The decision to raise the age was made during a cabinet meeting on Wednesday 15 Dec 2021, the reports said. Currently, the minimum age of marriage for men is 21 and 18 for women.
Following cabinet approval, the government is likely to introduce an amendment to the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, and consequently bring amendments to the Special Marriage Act and personal laws such as the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955.
According to a 2017 United Nations report, India was struggling to stop child marriages and improve the health of its mothers. The report said as many as 27 percent of Indian girls were married before they turned 18.
Source: www.aljazeera.com
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