Collector seeks support to eradicate child marriages

Gadwal: Gadwal District Collector Rajat Kumar Saini on Tuesday called upon the people of Gadwal to extend their support in eradicating the menace of child marriages in the district. He sought the support of people’s representatives, village heads, Anganwadi teachers, school teachers to this effect. 

While taking part in an awareness seminar on ‘Eradication of Child Marriages and compulsory registration of Marriages,’ conducted by the Department of Women and Child Welfare in association with MV Foundation, the Collector expressed concern over the meance. 

Ija, Vaddeman, Rajouli and some other mandals in the district are witnessing a large number of child marriages and it is high time that the people of these regions changed their mindset and extended their support towards the eradication of child marriages and development of girl child in the district.

 “It is with deep regret to say that Gadwal district, though it has achieved top rank in many sectors, is still ranked at the bottom when it came to child marriages, child labour, women development and poverty. Despite the government bringing in many laws to protect child labour and eradicate child marriages, the menace is still continuing in Gadwal and it is not going to change until and unless the people of the district took up the campaign to bring about a change.  

I urge the people, the village elders, government officials at the village level to all work together to ensure that the child marriages are eradicated and see that the girl child gets an opportunity to go for higher studies beyond degree,” urged the collector while seeking their support. 

The Collector said that the parents of the girl child should change their mindset and they should ensure that their child gets good education, good career and better prospects in the future. However, most parents are thinking girl child as a burden and want to get rid of her by getting her married at the early age. This is going to impact heavily on the health as well as socio-economic condition of the women. 

To spread awareness about the eradication of child marriages the district administration has decided to conduct an awareness programme for the Anganwadi staff, Panchayati Secretaries, Sarpanches and Women Association Groups from Ija, Vaddeman, Rajoli and other areas and stressed on the need to eradicate child labour.  M V Foundation Chief Coordinator Rajendra Prasad also took part in the programme and advised the people to inform the concern officials if anyone is resorting for child marriages in the district.