Changes in age at marriage of women in rural north India

Abstract

There has been a dramatic increase in age at marriage for women in a rural area of north India. Age at marriage rose from under 12 years before 1930 to about 19 years in 1988, mainly as a result of socioeconomic development and advances in education of women.

PIP: In order to investigate the changes in age at marriage and the motivations behind the changes, a survey in 1988 was administered to every married women in a group of 10 villages in the Shimla district of Himachal Pradesh, India. Recent changes have increased road access to Shimla from the villages, thus making cash cropping possible. Educational facilities have also been expanded and economic status has improved. 5 primary schools and 1 secondary high school service the villages, and advanced education is available in Shimla. Children born after 1970 were enrolled in primary school and school drop out rates have decreased. There is a maternal and child health center, electricity, and a drinking water supply provided by the government. The results showed that the singulate mean age at marriage was 19.7 years. Compared to 1981 Shimla district census data, this age is 6 months higher in 7 years, assuming comparability between the village cluster and Shimla district. The mean age at marriage is calculated at 15.5 years, and 18.5 years for the cohort marriage after 1981. The increase in age at marriage appears to be recent. Prepubertal marriage remained high up to 1950. By 1980 33% were prepubertal marriages and by 1988, 7%. Education is considered to be the most important reason for delay of marriage. Educated women, and marriage to educated husbands were related to higher age at marriage, even when husbands came from another village. When data was analyzed for daughters married within the study village cluster and parents level of education, the results showed that there were no arranged marriages before the age of 15 for daughters of any fathers with 5 or more years of education. Major differences appear by caste. Rajput women have the highest age at marriage regardless of cohort, then followed by the Brahmans, who also have the lowest age of marriage among the oldest and youngest cohorts. The lowest age at marriage is among the Sudra women, who are poor and dependent on the Rajputs and Brahmans and marry off daughters early for the bride price. All marriage cohorts showed that women married to uneducated or poorly educated men had lower age at marriage. Marriage delays were also affected by horoscope problems, delays in elder brother's and sister's marriages, poverty of parents, gossip about premarital relations, physical deformities of the girl, and the combination of inauspicious dates. The age difference between spouses also has decreased which has led to a decrease in multiple marriages. Future increases in age at marriage are possible only if there is a demand for educated wives.