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End Discrimination: Equalize legal age of Marriage
A PIL was presented before the High Court of Delhi seeking for an order to put an end to the discrimination imposed onto the minimum age limit for marriage of a male as against a female. Wherein women are legally permitted to get married at the age of 18 and men on the contrary are required to attain the age of 21. It is condemned to be a "blatant discrimination"
The aabove mentioned plea is further supported by the claim that this discrimination is not based on any scientific explanation whatsoever and is just the carrying forward of the ideals advocating "patriarchal stereotypes" The petition further claims that such distinction in legal age for marriage is expressive of the prevalent gender inequality, and is also violative of the principles of dignity of wome, and gender justice.
The following are such exercepts contained in the PIL filed:
“The petition challenges a blatant, ongoing form of discrimination against women. That is the discriminatory minimum age limit for marriage for men and women in India. “While men in India are permitted to get married only at the age of 21 years, women are allowed to get married when they are 18. This distinction is based in patriarchal stereotypes, has no scientific backing, perpetrates de jure and de facto inequality against women, and goes completely against global trends,”
While addressing the 'social reality' of the implied 'power imbalnce' wherein a married woman is in fact expected to take up a role subordinate to that of her husband's. the petition states:
“A younger spouse is, therefore, expected to respect and be servile to her elder partner, which aggravates the pre-existing gender based hierarchy in the marital relationship,” the petition states and seeks equalising of the age of marriage for men and women."
