New Marriage Bill Is ‘Decisive Step In India’s History: Smriti Irani Lauds Centre’s Moves
Mumbai: On a day when the central government introduced the Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2021 in the Lok Sabha, which seeks to raise the marriageable age of women from 18 to 21, Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani lauded the move and called it a “decisive step in India’s history”.
The bill seeks to bring the legal age of marriage for women at par with that of men. Also Read: Govt Passes Proposal To Raise Legal Age Of Marriage For Women To 21 Yrs: Report
It also seeks to amend seven personal laws – the Indian Christian Marriage Act, the Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act, the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, the Special Marriage Act, the Hindu Marriage Act, and the Foreign Marriage Act.
“The Bill seeks to supersede all existing laws, including any custom, use or practice governing the parties in relation to marriage. As a democracy, we are 75 years late in providing equal rights to men and women to enter into matrimony It is also important to bring down the incidence of teenage pregnancies, which are not only harmful for women’s overall health but also result in more miscarriages and stillbirths,” Irani said.
She further pointed out that seven per cent of the girls in the age group of 15 to 18 years were found to be pregnant and about 23 per cent of the girls were married before the age of 18 years.
Irani urged the Lok Sabha Speaker to refer it to a standing committee.
National Commission for Women Chairperson Rekha Sharma welcomed the Bill and said that “it will go a long way in empowering women”.
“It’s important to know the ‘self’ before deciding to share your life with someone else. It gives one time to introspect and understand what one is. By delaying the marriage age, women can now explore what they want, what their dreams and aspirations are, and what goals they want to achieve,” she said, according to news agency PTI.
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