Why in News?
Government thinks to review the age of marriage of women in its bid to fight malnutrition, PM speech on Independence day.
During the budget speech Nirmala Seetharaman also said the same. It aimed at in order to lower maternal mortality
rates and improve nutrition levels.
Need for Review ?
- It will impact the the health of mother and babie when a girl is married too early before the age of 20 years.
- A study conducted by International Food Policy Research Institute and last year have the following findings
- The children born to adolescent mothers (10-19 years) were 5 percentage points more likely to be stunted than those born to young adults (20 – 24 years)
- Also 11 percentage points more stunted than children born to adult mothers.
- Children born to adolescent mothers also had 10 percentage points higher prevalence of low weight as adult mothers.
- Besides issues like lower education among teenage mothers and their poor economic status, which had the strongest links with a child’s height and weight measurements.
Initiative by the Government and Way Forwrad
- A 10 member panel headed by Jaya Jaitly and comprising Secretaries from the Ministries of Human Resource Development, Women and Child Development, and Health and Family Welfare, among others assigned in June.
- Increase access to education and health, create enabling opportunities and place girl’s empowerment will help in awareness.
- Besides awareness of Sex, health information and campaign will help to tackle this.
Source : The Hindu
Topic : GS II : – Mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections