Development

Gender Development
opportunities and chances of
personal growth. While boys are also
affected by adolescent marriage,
girls are affected in far larger
numbers and with more intensity.
The consequences for girls are
especially dire, as they are usually
compelled into early child bearing
and social isolation. Adolescent
brides will drop out of school and
be exposed to higher risk of
domestic violence and abuse,
increased economic dependence,
denial of decision-making power,
inequality at home, which further
perpetuates discrimination and low
status of girls/women. Adolescent
marriage is also associated with
several health risks for the young
mother, as early marriage may
translate into repeated pregnancies
at a tender age when the body is not
fully prepared for child bearing.
Girls aged 15-19 are more likely
(66.6%) to experience delivery
complications compared to 30-34
year-old women (59.7%) and
neonatal, infant and child mortality
rates are much higher for younger
girls. Risks of HIV/AIDS infection
are higher among young girls as
their negotiation skills and
experience to ensure a healthy
sexual life are less developed
(Sahoo, 2011).
8.10.3. The Present Study
The study was undertaken in
Kurudi village of Manvi taluk in
Raichur District. The village lies at
a distance of 22 kms from the taluk
headquarters and has a pucca road
connecting to Manvi. Being
dependent primarily on
agricultural occupations, the
village represents a backward rural
economy.
A sample of 36 married women
below the age of 30 years was
chosen and for eliciting
information about their marriage,
family relations and child bearing
issues, women below the age of 30
years were specifically chosen for
the study. The social group
composition shows that majority
(64 %) of them were from backward
classes (OBC); 25% from SC-ST
category; and 11% belonged to
minority community. All the
sample women belonged to BPL
households since all of them
possessed BPL cards.
8.10.4. Average Age at marriage
The respondents were not in a
position to reveal their husband’s
age correctly as is evident in the
Figure 8.4. While the average for
the sample women is less than 17
years, it has been the lowest among
minority communities and OBCs.
However, the social group wise
difference is not much. But what
matters is the age difference
between the couple. The average
age difference among the sample is
7.78 years and as high as 8.75
years among minorities. This only
indicates that girls are married off
early and that too to a person quite
older than her. However, as
mentioned earlier, the age of
husbands might not have been
stated correct, but the age gap
between husband and the wife has
implications for family health as
well as personal health.
Adolescent
marriage is also
associated with
several health
risks for the
young mother, as
early marriage
may
translate into
repeated pregnancies
at a tender age
when the body is
not fully
prepared for
child bearing.
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