Due to poverty and lack of education, village girls marry early. Child marriages have serious consequences for the rest of their lives.“It is believed by many parents in poor and uneducated communities that if they give their daughter to a suitable boy in marriage before her menstruation cycle starts, they will earn a religious merit (punya). They believe, leads them to heaven (swarga) after they die.” Girls in these highly marginalized communities often suffer from malnutrition and many diseases caused by poor sanitation.
