Social media opening doors to child marriages?
Social media and online dating platforms are increasingly being used to facilitate child marriages, as seen in a recent case involving a minor in Chennai. Activists warn that digital communication has changed the modus operandi of trafficking and grooming, necessitating a more robust, borderless response.
Why it matters
The intersection of digital technology and human rights violations highlights a growing challenge for child protection agencies in the modern era.
Last year, the District Child Welfare Committee in Chennai dealt with a case where a 15-year-old girl from Nepal had married a 28-year-old man working in Chennai, the two having met on Instagram. With the help of friends, they got married in Chennai.
A month into the marriage, the girl was traced after she made a call to her sister in Nepal. The girl’s family lodged a complaint with the police following which India Child Protection, a civil society organisation working in the area of child protection, intervened to rescue the girl.
Social media and online dating are increasingly exposing vulnerable girls to greater risk of child marriage.
“With advancement in digital communication, the modus operandi in child marriage is changing, making more children vulnerable,” says Bhuwan Ribhu, a child rights activist and founder of Just Rights for Children.
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