India Lays Out Controversial Bill to Raise Women’s Marriage Age
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has presented new legislation in parliament, seeking to raise the legal age at which women can marry to 21 from 18, a move that rights activists say will do little to change long-held social mores and instead penalize adult women.
The Prohibition of Child Marriage Amendment Bill was introduced in the lower house of parliament Tuesday amid protests by opposition lawmakers. It has been sent to a parliamentary panel for further scrutiny.