India has a very young population. Today, the country has its largest-ever adolescent and youth population: every fifth person in India is an adolescent (10-19 years) and every third a young person (10-24 years).
As India aspires to become a $5 trillion economy in the years to come, this young population represents the biggest competitive advantage that the country has: demographic dividend. This opens an unprecedented window of opportunity to achieve economic development as well as reduce poverty. To leverage this opportunity, it is important for us to invest in the health and overall well-being of a generation that is still in its formative years and is expected to define the future of the country. As policymakers, we need to create an environment where young people have increased access to good health, nutrition, education, skill development and mental well-being.
As an ardent supporter of youth issues and a former legislator from Rajasthan, where every fourth person is an adolescent, I would like to highlight early marriages as one of the key roadblocks in the progress of our young population. Early marriages have a cascading impact on overall development and well-being of the youth.
The problem of girls dropping out of school and being married off early is so culturally entrenched in our communities that despite being an elected representative holding an influential position, I faced difficulties in challenging these norms. I experienced that lack of formal education among family members and limited awareness on adverse health outcomes of early marriages are some of the reasons behind such practices. Another culturally embedded reason, which intensifies these practices, is a widely accepted tradition where younger siblings are married off along with their elder sisters or brothers. Customs such as these have complicated the issue further, making it extremely difficult for policies, programmes and the legal system to address these matters.
The impediments
The National Family Health Survey (NFHS 3 and 4) shows that the prevalence of child marriages among girls between 15 and 19 years has reduced significantly in our country from 26.5 per cent in 2005-06 to 11.9 per cent in 2015-16. However, in Rajasthan, the prevalence of child marriages is higher than the national average, at 16.2 per cent.
Early marriages have a direct correlation with teenage pregnancies. According to NFHS 4, six per cent of the women between 15 and 19 years had begun childbearing in Rajasthan. Furthermore, early marriages and early pregnancies have an immediate impact on maternal and infant health.
I come from the Nohar area in Hanumangarh district of Rajasthan. The situation in Hanumangarh district is no different. As per NFHS-4, Hanunamgarh has 23 per cent of women (aged between 20 and 24 years) who were married off before the age of 18. What is alarming is that over four per cent of adolescent girls are either pregnant or have already given birth to children.
Importance of education
Early marriages and pregnancies also lead to school dropouts. While there has been a significant improvement in literacy levels in the state, women’s literacy in Rajasthan is at 56.5 per cent, and only 9.1 per cent women were found to have completed 10-11 years of education. States such as Kerala (97.9 per cent) and Tamil Nadu (79.4 per cent) that have delivered better social and health indicators have shown that higher the level of education and literacy lower the chance of girls getting married before the legal age and having children early.
The way forward
Therefore, increasing access to health information and services, and years of schooling to address early marriages and teenage pregnancies must be at the top of the agenda of policymakers at the moment.
As a legislator, I have realised that schools are an important platform where we can leverage and positively impact the health status of learners and future workforce. Comprehensive health education programmes such as the School Health Programme under Ayushman Bharat is a much-needed intervention. The School Health Programme, launched by the Government of India, has a holistic approach towards preventive and curative health of students. While the Government of Rajasthan has initiated its implementation in seven districts, there is a need to effectively pilot the programme and expand it across the state so that all adolescents are equipped with information that they need to make informed decisions, which affect their health and overall well-being.
One of the key components of the School Health Programme is the sexual and reproductive health of adolescents. In my opinion, this theme requires additional emphasis considering the social construct of our community. Focused efforts are required to advance and include rights-based sexual and reproductive health education in school curriculum. Key stakeholders such as policymakers, legislators, CSOs and the government should join hands to ensure that every adolescent has the correct knowledge to make informed choices related to their health.
As legislators and important stakeholders in policymaking, we must engage at the community level, build partnerships and work toward removing socio-cultural barriers that affect the reproductive rights and sexual well-being of young people in our country.
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