Did you know that India ranks 13 in the world when it comes to child marriages?
The Indian girl child is a compassionate human being with immense potential, yet she is often the last to have her basic needs addressed and the first to have her fundamental rights denied…right across the country.
In India, major uprisings in support of the girl child have occurred in the last few decades.
Laws prohibiting sex determination and selective abortions have tightened the noose around violators.
The Government of India has initiated and established a series of laws, acts and regulations to safeguard the interest of the Indian girl child and women. Each of these listed below have a special relevance for the cause of the endangered girl child today.
In 2007, the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act came into operation. This law declares it illegal to marry a minor if the bride is under the age of 18 or the boy is under the age of 21. Under this law, families or parents who attempt to marry underage girls face legal consequences, and the marriages are thus deemed illegal.
The Preconception and Prenatal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act (PCPNDT) is a law passed in India to combat female feticide, which has resulted in a declining female sex ratio. The PNDT Act regulates genetic counseling centers, genetic laboratories, and genetic clinics, and pre-natal diagnostic procedures.
This Act also prohibits any type of advertisement regarding pre-conception and pre-natal sex determination of a fetus. As punishment, the Act provides for three years in prison and a fine of up to ten thousand rupees.
An Act to provide for the termination of certain pregnancies by registered medical practitioners and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
"On no account shall a sex determination test be undertaken with the intent to terminate the life of a female foetus developing in her mother's womb, unless there are other absolute indications for termination of pregnancy as specified in the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971."
Indian Parliament in the Medical Council Act, 1956
Any act of terminating the pregnancy of a normal female fetus, which accounts to female feticide, shall be considered professional misconduct on the part of the physician, subjecting him to penal erasure as well as criminal prosecution under the terms of this Act (Clause 1).
One of the most important laws pertaining to children of both genders is the right to free and compulsory education for all children between the ages 6 to 14. It stipulates that every child from 6 to 14 has a right to free and compulsory education. At this time, no child is liable to pay any fees or levies.
Mr. Navnish Bansal Country Director
+61 448 456 789
help@savegirlchild.org
© 2021 Save Girl Child. All Rights Reserved