In the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the parents of a 13-year-old girl in a remote village of Bangarupalem mandal in Andhra Pradesh’s Chittoor district frantically searched for medical help as the teen went into labour. However, the couple’s plea to get her admitted to a local nursing home was met with a haunting refrain: “We are helpless; it is COVID time.”
After much struggle, they got through to the police. Soon, a group of child rights activists swung into action, ensuring a safe delivery for the girl. Her 24-year-old alcoholic husband, however, remained largely indifferent to her needs. Now, three years later, her story, like countless others, has faded into oblivion.
Child marriage remains a harsh reality for over 100 forested villages in Bangarupalem, Palamaner, Gangavaram, Baireddipalle, V.Kota and Kuppam mandals in Chittoor district, robbing young girls of their childhood, denying them access to education and opportunities, and a possibly fulfilling future. The consequences are far-reaching, impacting not just the young brides, who are prematurely thrust into adulthood with limited choices and independence, but also perpetuating the cycles of poverty and gender inequality.
