People Aged 18 Can Choose PMs But Not Marry?: AIMIM Chief Owaisi
Mumbai: After reports said that the Union Cabinet has passed a proposal to raise the legal age of marriage for women to 21, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi criticised it, saying, “Men and women should be allowed to legally marry at 18.”
In a series of tweets, the Hyderabad MP wrote that if men and women of 18 years can contract, choose Prime Ministers and consent to sexual relationships and live in partnerships then why cannot they choose their life partners. Also Read: Govt Passes Proposal To Raise Legal Age Of Marriage For Women To 21 Yrs: Report
“Modi govt has decided to increase the age of marriage for women to 21. This is typical paternalism that we have come to expect from the govt. 18-year-old men & women can sign contracts, start businesses, choose Prime Ministers & elect MPs & MLAs but not marry? They can consent to sexual relationships and live-in partnerships but cannot choose their life partners? Just ridiculous. Both men & women should be allowed to legally marry at 18 as they’re treated as adults by the law for all other purposes” he wrote.
He said despite having the law, child marriages were rampant, and but only 785 criminal cases of child marriage were recorded even when “every fourth woman in India was married before turning 18.”
He further wrote that reduction in child marriages was due to education and economic progress rather than criminal law.
https://twitter.com/asadowaisi/status/1471811273667010566?s=20
He targeted the Prime Minister and said, “If Modi was sincere, he would have focused on increasing economic opportunities for women. Yet India is the only country where women’s participation in the workforce is dwindling. It fell to 16% in 2020 from 26% in 2005.”
Owaisi emphasised educational outcomes for women to ensure autonomous decision making. He alleged that 79% of the Rs 446.72 crore allocated as the budget for the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme was spent on advertising only.
https://twitter.com/asadowaisi/status/1471811287818518530?s=20
The proposal to raise the minimum age of marriage for women from 18 to 21 was cleared by the Union Cabinet on Wednesday, a year after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the plan is under review.
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