IMAGE: Empowering early married girls in India
The IMAGE programme seeks to empower girls who have married young.
Every year, 1.5 million girls in India marry before the age of 18. Many girls forced into early marriages rarely go to school. They live in poverty, often abused by their husbands. Our IMAGE programme empowers these girls and makes them stronger. We help them stand up for themselves. We offer them a place for professional skills training. We educate their communities to better protect them.
Thangam Ponpandi
Country Manager India
Background
At 230 million, India accounts for the world’s highest number of early married girls. In large parts of rural India, it is a custom for girls to marry before 18. Poverty, lack of awareness and tradition are some of the main reasons.
Marrying young has enormous disadvantages. The girls have children early and face severe health complications. They even discontinue their schooling. This keeps them from earning an income, making them financially dependent and in some cases forcing them to put up with domestic abuse.
Girls from broken child marriages often end up on the street. They are highly vulnerable to sexual exploitation.
Goal
Our IMAGE programme seeks to empower girls who have married young. We help them play bigger roles in their communities, to be seen more. Yet, we also ensure they stay safe and are no longer vulnerable to exploitation. We campaign for the abolishment of child marriages.
Approach
The acronym IMAGE stands for the Initiative for Married Adolescent Girls’ Empowerment. Started in India, IMAGE aims to empower married girls, giving them a say. That way they can stand up and better care for themselves.
IMAGE helps girls defend their rights. Through meetings, we raise awareness about health, nutrition and how to better care for their own children.
IMAGE focuses on the southern state of Karnataka, where 23% of Indian child brides live. In March 2021, 15,406 early married girls were identified during a so-called baseline survey by Terre des Hommes.
A safe place
We offer girls a safe place. We provide therapy and medical help as needed. We give training so the girls can learn skills for jobs that pay better. This way they become less dependent and improve circumstances for themselves and their families.
Connecting with communities
We also help their spouses, families and communities to better respect the girls’ rights and promote their safety and care. We motivate religious leaders to support the girls in their development and abolish child marriages.
Governments’ legal responsibility
We appeal to governments’ legal responsibility to better protect these girls. We take a stand against the damaging effects of young marriages and the exploitation of children as brides.
Results
Education
In 2022, 220 early married girls accessed education. Eighteen drop-outs rejoined formal schools, and nineteen girls were registered as private candidates.
Healthcare
In 2022, 238 girls were sensitised on postponement of pregnancies, while 381 girls received health care support such as health check ups, nutritional supplements, pre and postnatal care. As a result, ten early married girls and their spouses decided to postpone their pregnancy.
Skills development
In 2022, 202 girls improved their vocational skills to bring about financial independence and socio-economic empowerment: 112 girls learned saree designing, 39 took on artificial jewellery making and 69 got skilled in tailoring.
Lobby and Advocacy
At the local level, 40 civil society organisations participated in networks to promote child rights in 2022.
Awareness raising
Sensitising community members on the ill-effects of early marriage works as a means to prevent early marriages and address issues of child marriage victims. In 2022, 102 schools were involved in awareness raising by 1,780 school children, through rallies and wall paintings. In five street theatre sessions for the community further awareness against child marriage was built.
Protection
Strengthening child protection institutions and mechanisms is key in the prevention of child marriages. In 2022, 370 girls were immediately safeguarded from early marriage and gender-based violence. Local child protection committees, comprising 262 community members, held 26 meetings.
Child and community participation
To create an enabling environment in which early married girls can develop and sensitise on issues of child marriage, 95 children clubs were formed. The community was mobilised in Family Clubs (204 members) and Spouse Clubs (100 members), with 194 girls engaging in Early Married Girls Clubs.
Movement building
In 2022, 17,416 early married girls were organised into a movement and sensitised on their rights, life skills and child protection mechanisms. The movement helped prevent 356 child marriages in 2022.
Early married girls access education, health care (specifically sexual and reproductive health and rights) and are protected from gender-based violence. Families and community members are also sensitised on the ill effects of child marriage.
Partners
Children of India Foundation is the lead organisation of this programme.
Implementing partners include: VIDYANIKETHAN, Child Rights Trust (CRT) , PMSR , SEVAK – Society for Empowerment through Voluntary Action in Karnataka , REACH – Rural Environmental Awareness Community Help , Arpanam Trust