Child marriage: Progress made, but millions of girls still at risk in India, say experts

India’s Prohibition of Child Marriage Act defines child marriage by age. It covers a union in which the female is under 18 years or the male is below 21 years. These are the legal minimum marriage ages currently described in the article. The rule matters because early marriage can expose girls to pregnancy-related health risks, violence, poverty and reduced opportunities.

For example, a marriage involving a 17-year-old girl and an adult male falls within the definition because she is below 18. The article also states that, under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, sexual acts by a man with his wife below 18 amount to rape. This connects the age rule with protection from sexual harm.

The legal prohibition has not ended the practice. Child marriage remains widespread, especially in poor, rural and tribal communities. India’s response therefore combines law with education, health, social protection, child protection and efforts to strengthen girls’ voice and decision-making.

Child marriage has declined sharply in India, but its remaining scale is still enormous. The article reports that prevalence fell from more than 50 per cent in 1996 to a little over 20 per cent now. Yet one in five Indian young women was married before adulthood, and India still accounts for one in three child brides worldwide.

The figures show why national progress can be misleading. UNICEF estimates that more than 90 million women in the relevant group were married before turning 15, while the article reports more than 224 million married before 17. UNICEF also estimates that a girl marries every three seconds worldwide, with such marriages reaching 1,500 per day.

The trend is moving in the right direction, but the 2030 goal remains challenging. Experts say progress must continue through targeted action in communities and states where child marriage remains most common, rather than relying only on the national percentage.

Five states contain more than half of India’s total child marriages: Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. Kerala and Lakshadweep are identified as places doing well. This uneven pattern matters because a national decline may hide communities where girls still face a much higher risk.

Puja Marwaha explains that the national average masks differences between states and between rural and urban areas. Ravi Kant adds that child marriage remains especially prevalent among poor income groups. These differences mean that national figures cannot show which girls and communities are furthest behind or what support they need.

The forward task is therefore geography- and context-specific action. Experts call for sustained investment in education, health, nutrition, protection and social protection, along with stronger local work. Reaching the 2030 target will depend on focusing resources where poverty and social pressures keep the practice alive.

Early marriage changes a girl’s life while she is still developing. The article links it to early pregnancies, serious health risks, domestic violence and continuing poverty and gender inequality. Marriage can also make it harder for girls to stay in school, build skills, access opportunities and participate in decisions affecting them.

The article’s proposed alternative is investment throughout adolescence. Girls need support to remain in school, stay healthy and safe, develop skills and find opportunities. They also need safe spaces and confidence to speak, participate and lead. These conditions help girls exercise agency instead of having major life decisions made for them.

The consequences are not shared equally. Rural and tribal areas, poor families and communities in high-prevalence states face greater challenges. Reducing the national rate is therefore not enough. Efforts must reach girls furthest behind and combine protection with education, health, nutrition and social support.

India’s effort against child marriage began with social reform movements in the nineteenth century. Raja Rammohan Roy, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar and Mahatma Jyotirao Phule led campaigns against the practice. Their work helped produce the Age of Consent Act, 1891, an early legal intervention connected with protecting girls.

The Child Marriage Restraint Act of 1929 later set the minimum marriage age at 14 for girls and 18 for boys. The article explains that these ages were eventually raised. The current framework sets the minimum at 18 for females and 21 for males under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act.

This history shows that legal change developed gradually alongside social reform. However, law alone has not eliminated child marriage. It remains a social challenge, so current efforts also rely on education, health, protection, social support and local action. The government launched the Child Marriage Free India campaign in 2024, aligned with a United Nations goal.

The Indian government is using laws, schemes and coordinated services to reduce child marriage. The article refers to action across education, health, nutrition, child protection and social protection. In 2024, the government launched the Child Marriage Free India campaign, linked to a United Nations Sustainable Development Goal on ending harmful practices.

Local institutions also matter. Just Rights for Children works closely with panchayats and government bodies. UNICEF India urges sustained investment throughout adolescence so girls stay in school, remain healthy and safe, build skills, access opportunities and exercise agency. Its representative also stresses girls’ voice, participation and leadership.

Child-rights groups are monitoring the uneven reality and pressing for targeted action. CRY says India has progressed but remains some distance from elimination. The next step is to reach girls and communities furthest behind, especially in high-prevalence states and poor areas, while strengthening local implementation and support.

Child marriage remains illegal but persists because law does not remove the pressures families face. Ravi Kant says the poorest families may marry daughters early because they cannot feed them or provide for their lives. The practice then perpetuates poverty, gender inequality and health risks, making the next generation vulnerable too.

Education can keep girls in school and help them build skills and access opportunities. Health, child protection and social protection can make families and girls safer during adolescence. UNICEF also stresses safe spaces, confidence, voice and agency. These supports give girls greater influence over decisions affecting their lives rather than leaving marriage as the only perceived option.

Government schemes can help, but experts say action must be sustained and targeted. The national decline is encouraging, yet poor communities and high-risk regions need focused support. Reaching the 2030 target will require combining legal protection with services that address poverty and strengthen girls’ participation.