Himachal Assembly passes bill raising marriage age for women to 21 years

The bill will now be sent to Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla for assent. If approved by the Governor, Himachal Pradesh will be among the first states to enact this significant legislation.

Tabling the bill in the House, Shandil said that Child Marriage Act 2006 was enacted to prohibit child marriages but it has become necessary to increase the minimum age of marriage for girls in order to provide gender equality and opportunities of obtaining higher education.

He said early marriage hinders girls’ education and ability to progress in life. Early pregnancy and motherhood also negatively impacts their health, the minister while proposing to amend the Child Marriage Act 2006 and related acts in the state and increase the minimum age of marriage for girls to 21 years.

Earlier, in June this year, a central bill that aimed to bring uniformity in the age of marriage for men and women lapsed with the dissolution of the 17th Lok Sabha.

The Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2021 — to increase the minimum age of marriage of females to 21 years — was introduced in the Lok Sabha in December 2021 and was referred to the standing committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports. The standing committee received multiple extensions over a period of time.

The Bill would have overridden any other law, custom, or practice. Under the 2006 Act, a person married below the minimum age may apply for annulment within two years of attaining majority (i.e., before 20 years of age). The 2021 Bill increased this to five years (i.e., 23 years of age).

The 17 Lok Sabha was dissolved after the members of the 18th Lok Sabha were elected in the general elections