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SRS-2023: According to Sample Registration System (SRS) -2023, 62.5% of girls in Madhya Pradesh are now preferring to marry after the age of 21 years, while in 2020 the figure was 56%.
SRS-2023: According to Sample Registration System (SRS) -2023, 62.5% of girls in Madhya Pradesh are now preferring to marry after the age of 21, while in 2020 the figure was 56%. This change is being seen especially due to preference to education and career and support of government schemes. This figure is 80.2% in urban areas, while 57.5% of girls in rural areas are preferring late marriage. Although the state is still behind due to the national average being 72.2%, it has been seen to improve compared to previous years. Experts believe that this positive change is a sign of empowerment of women and changing ideas in society. Schemes being run by the government such as girl education and marriage incentive schemes are proving helpful in this change. Although the figures reflect significant changes in the age of marriage in urban areas, there is still a lot of scope for improvement in rural areas.
Change in society’s thinking
Another aspect of this survey also suggests that there is no significant change in the marriage rate of girls below 18 years of age. According to SRS-2023, the rate of girls married at the age of 18 was 2.0 percent, while in the 2020 report it was 2.1 percent. The percentage of girls married between the ages of 18 and 20 was 41.7 percent in 2020, which declined to 35.6 percent in the 2023 report. SRS is a large -scale demographic survey that collects population data based on age, gender and marital status. Experts say that after 21 years, the growing trend of girls’ marriage shows that they are getting educated and want to become self -sufficient. Manjula Tiwari, former Deputy Director of Madhya Pradesh Women and Child Development Department, told PTI-language that not only in the thinking of girls but also in the thinking of their family and society has changed. People are emphasizing girls’ education and skill development. Girls also want to become self -sufficient before marriage.
Self -reliance girls priority
He said that this is the reason for girls growing percentage in marriageable age. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state spokesperson Bagga also said that whether it is a family matter or individual, girls are giving priority to stand on their feet. Along with this, state government schemes like Ladli Laxmi are encouraging her in this direction and are proving positive in stopping child marriage. Bagga said that therefore, girls are now emphasizing education, giving priority to jobs and then becoming self -sufficient and grooming their future. The purpose of Ladli Laxmi Yojana is to improve girls’ health and education, to stop feticide and child marriage. Financial assistance is provided under the scheme only when a woman turns 21, provided she is not married before the age of 18 years.
Increasing cases of violence also made realization
However, Tiwari said that if there are government policies behind this change in the thinking of girls, then there will be no difference in the data of rural and urban areas. He claimed that changing social values are making more important contribution in this rather than government policies. Congress state spokesperson Aparajita Pandey also said that perspective and horizon have become widespread. He said that self-realization supported by good education enables him to achieve a set of skills and introduce himself as a strong, independent person with his unique identity. He claimed that the increasing cases of domestic violence, harassment and dowry murder have made women realize how important it is to be financially independent.
