Indian Child Bride Attains Divorce At 14.

[hardheadjarhead]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-1668006,00.html#cid=rssfeed&attr=World


A rather chilling paragraph:

"In 1992 an activist in Rajasthan was gang-raped when she tried to stop a child marriage. Earlier this year another had her hands cut off with a sword by the irate father of two young girls who was trying to marry them off."


Girls are still treated as property over there. I wonder if there is any way we can outsource our feminist ideals.




Regards,


Steve

 

[Feisty Mouse]

God I hope so.

 

[arnisador]

It says that "Marriage is illegal under the ages of 18 for girls and 21 for boys" (why the disparity?), so the law is on their side even if practice isn't.

 

[Bammx2]

It says that "Marriage is illegal under the ages of 18 for girls and 21 for boys" (why the disparity?), so the law is on their side even if practice isn't.

and you truely think that makes a difference?!
this ain't kentucky!
This is a completely different culture and the "law" means squat to thier traditions.
I live near a huge community of these people and they are shipping kids back and forth like crazy from here in the UK to have these marriages done just avoid the law!
and its workin!
That news article is a rare one.
THATS why the desparity.

 

[Sapper6]

as bad as it may seem, this is apparently ancient tradition to marry so young like this...? :idunno:

 

[TonyM.]

Unlikely. We seem to be going backwards here ourselves.

 

[Kane]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-1668006,00.html#cid=rssfeed&attr=World


A rather chilling paragraph:

"In 1992 an activist in Rajasthan was gang-raped when she tried to stop a child marriage. Earlier this year another had her hands cut off with a sword by the irate father of two young girls who was trying to marry them off."


Girls are still treated as property over there. I wonder if there is any way we can outsource our feminist ideals.




Regards,


Steve

Actually Steve, such cases are not as common as it may seem. In general India is not as bad as many other Western Countries. Heck India has had women prime-ministers, the US has yet to have a woman president. In fact a Italian woman almost became the prime minister of India too.

It isn't as bad as the middle east and china. Usually women are not forced like that to drop school like that, in fact it is Indians are known to be more school-crazy regardless of gender.

In fact there is even some sexism toward men in the south. In some hindu doctrines it states that women have more inheritance power, and sowries sometimes are used to (sowry=male dowry).

 

[sgtmac_46]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-1668006,00.html#cid=rssfeed&attr=World


A rather chilling paragraph:

"In 1992 an activist in Rajasthan was gang-raped when she tried to stop a child marriage. Earlier this year another had her hands cut off with a sword by the irate father of two young girls who was trying to marry them off."


Girls are still treated as property over there. I wonder if there is any way we can outsource our feminist ideals.




Regards,


Steve

We have been outsourcing feminism. That's part of the reason we are called "The Great Satan" in many parts of the world.

 

[hardheadjarhead]

It says that "Marriage is illegal under the ages of 18 for girls and 21 for boys" (why the disparity?)

I would guess that it was for economic reasons, thinking perhaps the man (they're not "boys" at 21 by any measure) would ideally have achieved some measure of education and employment.

Or, they recognize the very real truth that eighteen year old males are extremely immature and prone to stupidity. Having had one in my household, I can confirm this.

I find it interesting that a country with 12 of the best technical schools in the world--a country that exports its best and brightest (which are very bright)--can still have this sort of tradition. No doubt this is due to the caste system, still very much alive in India.


Regards,


Steve

 

[arnisador]

Or, they recognize the very real truth that eighteen year old males are extremely immature and prone to stupidity. Having had one in my household, I can confirm this.

I can go you one better--I was one! Yes, I was a teenage teenager, and I think you have a good point. I wonder if that is the actual reason, though? It makes obvious economic sense to wait until they're older, better educated, and more mature.

The caste system still causes problems, yes. I read an article recently indicating that even Indians who have emigrated to the U.S. often try to marry within caste here.

 

[goshawk]

as bad as it may seem, this is apparently ancient tradition to marry so young like this...? :idunno:

Duration of a practice is not a sound reason for allowing it to continue. Wife-beating is an ancient practice, as is rape. Slavery? Religious persecution? Hell, anti-semitism has been around for thousands of years, but I somehow doubt people are shrugging their shoulders saying, "well, it's just their tradition" about suicide bombings in Tel Aviv.

Tradition or not, marrying off twelve-year-old children is sick and wrong. There is far too much scope for abuse there, and you cannot tell me a child that age is aware of what it entails, willing, and prepared for marriage. The fact that India has a law in place (in name if nothing else) shows that they're at least superficially aware of the problem, and trying to make progress.

Cultural relatavism is one thing; moral relatavism isn't something I'm prepared to contemplate.

 

[Sapper6]

Duration of a practice is not a sound reason for allowing it to continue. Wife-beating is an ancient practice, as is rape. Slavery? Religious persecution? Hell, anti-semitism has been around for thousands of years, but I somehow doubt people are shrugging their shoulders saying, "well, it's just their tradition" about suicide bombings in Tel Aviv.

Tradition or not, marrying off twelve-year-old children is sick and wrong. There is far too much scope for abuse there, and you cannot tell me a child that age is aware of what it entails, willing, and prepared for marriage. The fact that India has a law in place (in name if nothing else) shows that they're at least superficially aware of the problem, and trying to make progress.

Cultural relatavism is one thing; moral relatavism isn't something I'm prepared to contemplate.

i wasn't implying the tradition of doing such a thing was "ok" merely because it is tradition. :asian:

there are freaky things like this and other stuff that happen all over the world. just because we as modernized westerners would view something as sick and twisted doesn't necessarily mean the cultures that commit such acts should be expected to as well.

just imagine what most countries thought of the U.S. when we finally allowed female citizens the liberty of voting. the perception is the same, just now, the tables have turned, once again...

 

[goshawk]

i wasn't implying the tradition of doing such a thing was "ok" merely because it is tradition. :asian:

I realize that now. Jumped the gun a bit, my bad.

just imagine what most countries thought of the U.S. when we finally allowed female citizens the liberty of voting. the perception is the same, just now, the tables have turned, once again...

Truth. But the tables are always turning, and one person's idea of what is Good and True and Right is completely different from another's idea of the same. It's your fundamental paradigm that defines the very bedrock of every belief and opinion you have; a lot of people can see it in others but not themselves.

As an example, that's why it's so difficult for Creationists and Evolutionists to have relevant discussion: the Evolutionist says "stop quoting your book of religious teachings and show me SCIENCE!", and the Creationist says "stop overlooking God's Word and look at what HAPPENED!"

I mean, it's impossible to have an argument from completely divergent sets of reality like that, and people argue past each other. When it gets sticky is in morality, as in this case. My fundamental paradigm says women are intelligent and capable human beings, equal to men and deserving of equal treatment. It says marrying children off without their consent (or with it, for that matter) is wrong and immoral. The fundamental paradigm of the Indian people who do this is says differently.

Now, we can look at that. We can look at the cultural and socio-economic factors influencing that fundamental paradigm, trace how it developed, research its effects and its place within modern India. We can understand it. Maybe we can even sympathize with it. But can we accept it? Can we simply sit by and see an unwilling child married at twelve? Can you? I can't.

The tables turned, and for myself I would tip it while we have the upper hand. The revolution is always coming, right? =)