Decision to marry off underage daughters driven by local crimes against women

Gender: Underage marriages of daughters are more likely to take place in localities where crimes against women are perceived to be higher, according to research undertaken by Sudipa Sarkar of Warwick University. The study uses data from a nationally representative household panel survey, which interviewed individuals twice—in 2005 and 2012—to understand the perceptions about crime in their localities.

A family’s decision to marry off a daughter below the age of 18 is influenced significantly by local crimes against women, while the age at which men are likely to marry stays unaffected. Gender-neutral crimes such as theft, burglary, and threats did not show any significant link. According to the study, the stigma against sexually harassed women is very high in the ‘marriage market’. Previous studies have shown that South Asian men give more importance to their spouse’s sexual purity at marriage than their physical appearance.

Sarkar’s study also finds a link between high crime rates and early marriage in families that restrict women’s mobility more or practise the purdah system in which women have to cover their face while speaking to strangers or other men.

Along with local crimes against women, poverty, gender bias at the workplace, and other socioeconomic factors have been cited as a reason for early marriage. Several policies have been created to prevent child marriage, yet a third of the world’s brides who are underage are in India.

Read this article on raising the minimum age of marriage in India.

Fundraising & Communications: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued a circular extending the validity of FCRA registration certificates to September 30th, 2021. This applies to all FCRA licences that have expired or will expire between September 29th, 2020 and May 31st, 2021. The decision to extend the deadline has been driven by the exigencies arising from the COVID-19 situation.

FCRA refers to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act 2010, which permits charitable organisations based in India to raise funds from foreign sources.

The order also clarified that nonprofits that have already opened an account and have the requisite permission to receive foreign aid, can henceforth receive it only in these newly-opened accounts.

The FCRA law was amended in September 2020 to include a clause that mandated that all nonprofits receiving foreign aid must necessarily open an account in State Bank of India’s New Delhi Main Branch. The government had initially set the deadline for this account opening as March 31st, 2021; it later extended it to June 30th, 2021 after several nonprofits argued in court that there had been delays because necessary approvals from MHA had not been received.

Several organisations have not been able to receive foreign funds during the crisis caused by the second wave, and this has impacted their COVID-19 relief efforts. Relaxing the foreign funding rules could significantly help organisations ramp up their operations to help individuals, supply critical healthcare equipment, and respond to communities in rural areas.

Read this article to know how amending the FCRA can have unforeseen implications.

Philanthropy & CSR: The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has issued a circular that allows corporate spending on health infrastructure for COVID-19 care to qualify as corporate social responsibility (CSR) expenditure.

This includes setting up medical oxygen generation and storage plants, manufacturing and supply of oxygen concentrators, ventilators, cylinders, and other medical equipment to counter COVID-19.  

The announcement comes at a time when all efforts are being directed towards expediting efforts to support the country’s healthcare infrastructure.

According to the circular, companies can now undertake projects and activities in collaboration with other companies using CSR funds. Additionally, they can contribute to specified research and development projects, as well as publicly funded universities and certain organisations that conduct research in science, technology, engineering, and medicine.

The government had earlier clarified that setting up makeshift hospitals and temporary COVID-19 care facilities would also be considered a CSR activity. Rajesh Verma, the Corporate Affairs Secretary, has requested businesses to consider converting vacant office buildings into COVID-19 facilities to cater to the rapidly increasing caseload.

Read this article to understand why media attention on COVID-19 deaths due to lack of oxygen in big cities has skewed donor priorities.