How child marriage ruins lives

BY OUR CORRESPONDENT,Kalikot, Dec. 29: Kalpana Timilsina of Shubhakalika Rural Municipality-2, in Bharta, Kalikot district, is now 70 years old. Born in 1952, she got married in 1966 when she was only 14. She gave birth to her first child at 16. Ever since she reached 40, she has been facing myriad health problems.  

In all, Timilsina gave birth to 12 children, but only eight survived. A mother of six sons and two daughters, she cannot sit on a floor. For 40 years now, her body has been trembling. The doctor attributed her medical condition to the weakness resulting from the lack of nutritious food.   

Timilsina now regrets giving births to many kids. Being mother at a tender age have had toll on her health. Every time when she was pregnant, she was burdened with household chores. That left her body in frail health. “There was no one to make pregnant women aware about wellbeing, nor was there any means to prevent pregnancy,” she lamented. 

She also said that everyone used to get married at a young age during her time and health facilities were scant. After giving birth, it was customary to live in the cow shed. Eating milk or curd was not allowed. “We used to consume ghee only after five days of delivery,” she recalled.  

“My children were raised by the grace of god, they never got medicines even when they were sick,” she said, “But times have changed. Now there are many facilities.” Like Timilsina, Rajkumari Shahi regrets marrying at a young age.  

Now 30 years old, Shahi got married at 14. After the birth of two daughters and a son, her husband married for the second time and moved to India seven years ago. Suffering from uterus problem for a long time, she looks depressed. Doctors have attributed her health problem to giving birth at a young age and lack of nutritious food. Making matters worse, her children are also malnourished.

Her son is seven years old now. He could not speak nor walk properly until he was five.  With the help of a non-governmental organisation, Kirdak Nepal, the health condition of her son has improved. The organisation has provided medicines and nutritious food.  Ever since her son was identified as differently abled, the rural municipality has been providing a monthly allowance of Rs. 2,000.  

She said that she does not want others to suffer like her. She tells everyone not to get married at an early age. There are many women like Timalsini and Shahi who are suffering due to child marriage.

On Saturday, Shubhakalika Rural Municipality Ward No. 2 announced plans to make the ward child marriage-free, child labour-free and to make basic education compulsory.

Man Bahadur Shahi, Ward Chair, said that the campaign against child marriage has been launched in partnership with non-governmental organisations to make sure that no women suffers due to child marriage. 

In his commitment letter, Shahi also made commitment to stopping any activity that leads to child marriage. Similarly, Kalikot district has set a target to declare the district a child marriage-free district by 2025. Dhanjit Shahi, chief of the District Problem Committee, who was also present at the programme, urged the people to support the government as it has been passed by the district assembly.