“There is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women.”
Kofi Annan
Former UN Secretary-General
“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”
Winston Churchill
Former Prime Minister of the UK
“One of the most difficult things to give away is kindness; it is usually returned.”
Unknown
Author unknown
“There is no higher religion than human service. To work for the common good is the greatest creed.”
Woodrow Wilson
Former U.S. President
When a daughter is seen as a burden, she is often married as a child
Child marriage is one of the most common ways a girl’s childhood ends. More than 50% of girls from the poorest families in the developing world are married as children, and a girl from a poor family is more than three times as likely to marry before 18 as a girl from a wealthier family. Where a daughter costs dowry and brings in no income, marrying her off early is treated as reducing the family’s burden. Yet a child bride does not simply lose her wedding day — she loses her school years, her choices and her chance to become her own person.
Why It Matters
Dowry and the cost of a daughter — dowry is a widely practised norm, so the birth of a daughter is often treated as a financial burden. Marrying her off — however young — is seen as ending that liability.
Misplaced social beliefs about gender — in some rural areas, a girl is expected to belong to her husband’s household, so her own education and choices are not considered important.
Poverty — for a family living in extreme poverty, a daughter is one less mouth to feed, and economic desperation makes families more willing to give a girl away young.
What This Means for Girls
A girl given away in marriage at a very young age is deprived of access to education, of training and of the right to take control of her own destiny. A child bride is more likely to drop out of school, to suffer poor health and to be powerless to change her circumstances.
The reverse is equally true: when a girl stays in school, she is far less likely to be married as a child. That is why keeping girls in education is central to ending child marriage — and at the heart of everything Sneha Karma does.
“Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.”
Muhammad Ali
Boxer and activist
How We Respond
Child marriage sits at the intersection of everything we work on. It is rooted in the low value placed on daughters, deepened by poverty, and fed by a girl being kept out of school.
Gender Inequality — the root cause: a daughter is seen as a burden, not a blessing.
The legal age of marriage in India is 18 for girls and 21 for boys. Child marriage — marriage below these ages — is illegal, yet it still happens in many communities where poverty and gender bias push families to marry daughters early.
Poverty, limited schooling, social pressure and the fear of “dishonour” all drive it. When a family cannot afford to keep a girl in school, early marriage can look like the safe, cheaper option. Changing that belief is why we work on education and community awareness together.
By keeping girls in school and supporting their families. Girls who are learning, supported and have a pathway to a livelihood are far less likely to be married early. We also run awareness with parents and communities, and work with local partners to protect at-risk girls.
Donate to keep a girl in school, volunteer your skills, or start a fundraiser for a girls’ education programme. Sustained support — school fees, mentoring and community work — is what changes outcomes over time.
