From Our Correspondent
JOWAI, July 21: An awareness programme, held at Mooshrot village, West Jaintia Hills, recently, focused on child marriage and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, aiming to educate the community about the legal consequences and importance of protecting children from abuse and early marriage.
It was conducted by the Village Health Council of Mooshrot village in collaboration with Barato Outpost and Laskein Community Health Centre (CHC).
UB SI Wilfred Jala, Officer-in-Charge of Barato Police Outpost, addressed the gathering on the issues of early marriage and the POCSO Act. He highlighted the harmful impact of child marriage on children’s health, education, and well-being, emphasising that it is a punishable offence under the law.
Counsellor M Papiah from the Adolescent Friendly Health Clinic, Laskein CHC, spoke about the serious consequences of early marriage. She explained that marrying at a young age can disrupt a child’s natural growth and development, particularly during the critical period of puberty and adolescence. She noted that girls typically experience puberty between the ages of 9 and 13, but full emotional maturity develops later, between 15 and 18 years old. Marrying during this period can severely impact mental health, limit education and career opportunities, and increase vulnerability to early pregnancy, which carries high health risks.
The programme also featured various activities, such as a skit play and football matches, designed to actively engage the community and reinforce the importance of protecting children from early marriage and abuse.