AAUW Dialog

Like many 11-year-old girls born and raised in India who are just approaching puberty, Rekha Kalindi was about to be married. Her parents believed, as they had shown with her sister, that she was the right age to be married off and have children of her own. Instead of having this doomed fate imposed upon her, however, Rekha had a far more promising future in mind. Through the National Child Labor Project, a government-sponsored program allowing children to study at no cost to their families, Rekha had recently been given the rare, rich opportunity to attend school, get a decent education, and acquire leadership skills.

Of course, there are obvious questions to consider with child marriage, such as whether it is immoral and whether children even have a right to act as children. But there are also serious health risks involved, including high infant and maternal mortality, as well as the sad perpetuation of poverty that communities face when generations of children are coerced into having children of their own.

According to a UNICEF study, 40 percent of child marriages occur in India, and nearly half of Indian women between the ages of 20 and 24 marry before age 18. Although arranged child marriages are illegal in India, Rekha’s family was not unusual in preparing to continue the tradition with their daughter. What is remarkable, though, is Rekha’s decision to defy her parents’ wishes and insist on acquiring an education. Her brave defiance has gained her praise throughout India, with even the president asking to meet this young girl who was able to do what the law could not.

Giving young girls like Rekha Kalindi the opportunity to get an education can have spectacular results. This child’s determination to be a student instead of a child mother has put a spotlight on a damaging and illegal but centuries-old tradition, shaking up a nation and finally putting the focus on education. Children want to learn. Let them know that they’re smart, give them an education and a support system, and you will prepare them to give themselves, their families, and their communities a better future.