This week on We Women Want, we discuss the issue of child marriages and whether the government should raise the marriageable age of women to 21 from the current 18 years. The marriageable age for men is 21 years. This issue has been highlighted after the Assam CM’s move to crackdown on child marriages, with the state arresting more than 2000 people under the POSCO Act and the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act.
FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE
We take a look at this issue and also why some parents prefer to marry their girls once they attain puberty, fearing for their safety. One suggestion from the panel was that the government should use carrots instead of sticks and give the women (and their families) options to make them financially independent, support their education instead of letting marriage be the first option towards securing their future. On the panel was Namita Bhandare, Journalist on Gender Issues, Dr Vimal Sharda, Director at the Akanshi NGO for women, Archana Agnihotri, Director, Samadhan Abhiyan NGO and Yogita Singh, Councillor, Kalkaji and the president of the BJP Mahila Morcha.
CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE
The panel also discussed child sexual abuse and what could be done to prevent it by taking initiatives like sex education in schools, teaching the children what is a `good’ touch vs a `bad’ touch and making them aware of their bodies. These are issues that need to be addressed from the early formative years. We Women Want is a weekly show that explores gender-specific issues and has become a support group for women. The show is moderated by Priya Sahgal, Senior Executive Editor at NewsX. Catch fresh episodes of ‘We Women Want’ every Saturday at 7:30 PM on NewsX. The program will also streamed live on major OTT platforms, including DailyHunt, Zee5, ShemarooMe, Watcho, Mzaalo, Jio TV, Tata Play, and PayTm livestreams.
