ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the issue of adolescent autonomy in India, with a specific focus on child marriage and its far-reaching implications for both individual identity and societal development. Viewed through a legal and rights-based lens, the study examines the persistent prevalence of child marriage – a practice that has plagued India for centuries, particularly harming girls and undermining their autonomy in critical life decisions such as education, employment, childbearing, and protection from violence. Despite numerous legal reforms and sustained governmental efforts to curb child marriage, it remains widespread, especially in rural and socio-economically disadvantaged regions. The chapter probes into the socio-cultural and structural factors that sustain this practice, including the muted resistance from even more educated and progressive segments of society and the silencing of voices opposing it. The study further analyses the current legislative and policy framework aimed at preventing child marriage, identifying the systemic gaps and enforcement challenges that hinder meaningful progress. In its concluding section, the chapter offers practical recommendations to strengthen protective mechanisms and promote adolescent autonomy, thereby paving the way for a more equitable and just future for India’s children.
