"In 2013, I came across a pamphlet from an organisation working on child marriage in the north-eastern India-Nepal border region of Shravasti. Statistics showed that 25% of girls in Shravasti, in Uttar Pradesh, were married by the time they reached 19. The figures were appalling, not only because of how rampant child marriage was in the region, but also because the practice is illegal in India."
"After that first visit it became a stop for me every time I went home. I was curious about the lives of young brides, while being deeply aware of my own privileges: what choice and agency did the women have in their own lives? What was their idea of a good life? Did they have dreams for careers? What were their expectations in love?"
A 2013 pamphlet reported that 25% of girls in Shravasti, Uttar Pradesh, were married by age 19, despite child marriage being illegal in India. Shravasti has high male migration, leaving young women to live with in-laws and manage households while caring for children. Young brides take on domestic responsibilities early and face constrained choice and agency. A 14-year-old bride, Arti, prepared for her wedding, oversaw celebrations, and appeared in control but also vulnerable. She minimized her feelings, saying, "What is there to feel? It happens to everyone." After marriage, her responsibilities shifted to full household duties at her husband's family home.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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