Unicef says 30% of Indian girls get married before 19

Three of five women in India are still married off as adolescents, United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) has claimed.

In a report on adolescent health released on Friday, Unicef said about 30% of girls aged 15-19 are in union or married compared to 5% of boys.

This, it said, led to serious health issues. The problem is severe in rural areas where almost 56% of girls are married off early as against 29% in cities.

The report — State of the World’s Children — puts India in an embarrassing position as it claims the country has most underweight adolescent girls in the world.

India is home to 20% of the world’s adolescent population, but its health and education record is poor. Almost 47% (the highest in the world) of girls in the 11 to 19 age group are underweight. In fact, 56% of girls and 30% of boys in this age group are anaemic. Around 25% (243 million) of Indians belong to the 11-19 age group. Of these, almost 40% are out of school and 43% get married before 18. Of the 43%, 13% become teenage mothers. School attendance in the 11-13 and 14-17 age groups is 86% and 64%.

On trends the survey says while cigarette smoking is a common addiction, many adolescents are willing to experiment with alcohol and drugs as well. They are engaging is sexual relationships very early. In developing countries, excluding China, around 11% of girls and 6% of boys aged 15-19 claimed to have had sex before 15.