NEW DELHI : Free and compulsory education for all children below 18 years can end child marriages, given the inverse relationship between education and the social evil, says a recent report.For instance, in Kerala where the female literacy rate is 96%, the prevalence of child marriage is as low as 6% against the national average of 23.3%.Conversely, in states like Bihar, while the literacy rate of females is 61%, child marriage rate stands at a staggering 41%. This key finding is part of a research paper titled ‘Exploring Linkages and Role ofEducation in Elevating Age at Marriage For Girls in India’ released on International Women’s Day by Child Marriage Free India campaign — a coalition of 160 NGOs. India, which is well on its way to reaching the tipping point to end this crime by 2030, can gain further momentum and direction if free and compulsory education becomes a reality, as per the report. “The Right To Education to include all children up to the age of 18 could accelerate the pace to end child marriage and free India by 2030,” Jyoti Mathur, Director, Policy and Research, Child Marriage Free India, said.
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