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児童婚はインドで表向きには違法だが、いまだに比較的よく見られる風習だ。
両親によって生後わずか11カ月で結婚させられた20歳の女性が、現在その結婚を拒絶し、婚姻の無効化を求めて闘っている。
地元紙「ガルフ・ニュース」のインタビューによると、サンタデヴィ・メグワルさんは、自分がまだよちよち歩きもできない頃に結婚が決められていたことを、16歳の時に知った。彼女の夫となる男性とその家族が西部のラージャスターン州にある彼女の家に現れた時、彼女は自分の家を離れることを拒否した。
教師を目指して大学に通うメグワルさんは、28歳の「夫」の姿を見て幻滅した。「夫」は粗野で強引だったと彼女は「シドニー・モーニング・ヘラルド」紙に語っている。そればかりか、男性の家族は彼女が大学をやめて主婦になることを求めたが、それはメグワルさんが望む人生とは違っている。
彼女の「夫」はさらに、彼女が大学に行く時に尾行して脅迫する行動をとったため、ついには彼女の両親も、結婚を拒否する彼女の決意を支持するようになった。村の自治機関「カースト・パンチャーヤト」の議会は、彼女の家族に対して160万ルピー（2万5000ドル以上）もの法外な罰金を支払うように命じ、メグワルさんを今も男性に嫁がせない代償として一家を村から追放した。しかし、それでも両親は彼女の味方だった。
メグワルさんは、NGO団体「サーアルティ・トラスト」と共に子供の権利のための活動を行うクリティ・バルティ氏に助けを求めた。 地元テレビ局「ニューデリー・テレビ」によると、バルティ氏らは合意の上で結婚を無効とするために働きかけており、村の議会による罰金の不当な要求に対しても訴訟を起こす意向を示している。
結婚の無効が実現するまでには1年以上かかる可能性があり、「夫」の家族との決着は容易にはつかないだろうが、メグワルさんの決意は固い。
「私は少しも困りません」とメグワルさんはガルフ・ニュースに語った。「向こうが訴訟を引き延ばすつもりならそれで構いません。法律は私の味方で、私が勝つということはわかっていますから」。
児童心理学者でもあるバルティ氏は、これまでも児童婚の無効に成功している。ガーディアン紙によると、5月だけで27件の無効を勝ち取っている。児童婚の無効が初めて認められたのは2012年だ。
インドの児童婚は表向きは違法だが、インドでは世界のどの地域よりも多く子供たちが児童婚によって幼い花嫁となっている。UNICEFの最新報告によると、20〜24歳までのインドの女性の43％が18歳になる前に最初の結婚をしている。
インドの児童婚は、メグワルさんの住むラージャスターン州のような貧しい農村地域でとりわけ高い割合で行われている。15歳未満の少女の結婚は概して減少傾向にあるが、一方で15〜18歳の少女の婚姻率は上昇している、と児童婚根絶を目指す団体「ガールズ・ノット・ブライズ」が報告している。
国際女性研究センター（ICRW）によると、未成年での結婚は、少女たちのHIV感染や家庭内暴力のリスクを高めることになる。
暴力と戦うインド女性
Violence Against Women(01 of20)
FILE - In this Aug. 24, 2013 file photo, photojournalists, with black bands around their mouth, participate in a protest against the gang rape of a female photojournalist in Mumbai, in Gauhati, India. The World Health Organization has declared violence against women an epidemic, calculating that one in three women worldwide will experience sexual or physical violence, most often from their husband or male partner. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath, File) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
INDIA-CRIME-RAPE-PROTEST(02 of20)
Indian activists participate in a rally organised by \'The Red Brigade - Bring Bangalore Back\' to protest against the recent incidents of sexual abuse, molestation and rapes against women in Bangalore on July 20, 2014. The protestors demanded police take action against sexual offenders, child sexual abuse and rapists after several cases of sexual violence against women were registered in Bangalore in the last few days. AFP PHOTO/Manjunath Kiran (Photo credit should read Manjunath Kiran/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:MANJUNATH KIRAN via Getty Images)
India Rape Protest(03 of20)
Hearing impaired students shout slogans during a protest against the Sept. 4 rape of a mentally disabled girl staying at a home run by a non-governmental organization in Jammu, India, Monday, Sept. 9, 2013. Police arrested two people in connection with the sexual abuse of the girl, according to local reports.(AP Photo/Channi Anand) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
India Child Rape(04 of20)
An Indian woman holds a placard during a protest to demand for tougher rape laws and better police protection for women, outside the Parliament in New Delhi, India, Monday, April 22, 2013. A second suspect was arrested Monday in the rape of a 5-year-old girl who New Delhi police say was left for dead in a locked room, a case that has brought a new wave of protests against how Indian authorities handle sex crimes. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
India Child Rape(05 of20)
Indian policewomen detain a protester during a protest outside the Parliament in New Delhi, India, Monday, April 22, 2013. A second suspect was arrested Monday in the rape of a 5-year-old girl who New Delhi police said was left for dead in a locked room, a case that has brought a new wave of protests against how Indian authorities handle sex crimes. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
India Child Rape(06 of20)
Indian police officers stand guard as an activist of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, or All Indian Student Council, shouts slogans during a protest against the rape of a six-year-old student, in Bangalore, India, Wednesday, July 23, 2014. Police in India have arrested the head of a school where the child was raped earlier this month and charged him with hindering the investigation and negligence. Earlier this week police also arrested the school\'s skating instructor and charged him with attacking the child. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
India Gang Rape Protest(07 of20)
Indian activists hold placards as they protest against the gang rape of a 21-year-old woman in the city in Kolkata, India, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2014. The victim, a shopping mall employee was allegedly gang raped at knifepoint by six men when she was returning from work Sunday evening, relatives said. Violence against women in India has caused increasing alarm since the fatal gang rape of a 23-year-old Indian physiotherapy student in New Delhi in December 2012. Several foreign tourists also have been targeted in attacks that have received international attention, although Indian women are assaulted far more frequently. (AP Photo/Bikas Das) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
India Rape Protest(08 of20)
A young hearing impaired student shouts slogans during a protest against the Sept. 4 rape of a mentally disabled girl staying at a home run by a non-governmental organization in Jammu, India, Monday, Sept. 9, 2013. Police arrested two people in connection with the sexual abuse of the girl, according to local reports. (AP Photo/Channi Anand) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
India Child Rape(09 of20)
Activists of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, or All Indian Student Council, shout slogans during a protest against the rape of a six-year-old student, in Bangalore, India, Wednesday, July 23, 2014. Police in India have arrested the head of a school where the child was raped earlier this month and charged him with hindering the investigation and negligence. Earlier this week police also arrested the school\'s skating instructor and charged him with attacking the child. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
India Child Rape(10 of20)
Pradeep Kumar, a 19-year-old garment factory worker, is taken away by police after he was arrested in Lakhisarai District, Bihar state, India, Monday, April, 22, 2013. Kumar, a second suspect was arrested Monday in the rape of a 5-year-old girl who New Delhi police said was left for dead in a locked room, a case that has brought a new wave of protests against how Indian authorities handle sex crimes. (AP Photo) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
India Child Rape(11 of20)
Indian protesters shout slogans during a protest to demand for tougher rape laws and better police protection for women, outside the Parliament in New Delhi, India, Monday, April 22, 2013. A second suspect was arrested Monday in the rape of a 5-year-old girl who New Delhi police say was left for dead in a locked room, a case that has brought a new wave of protests against how Indian authorities handle sex crimes. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
India Child Rape(12 of20)
Indian schoolgirls offer prayers for the speedy recovery of a 5-year-old girl who was raped and tortured in New Delhi, at Dewan Devi Public School in Jammu, India, Monday, April 22, 2013. A second suspect was arrested Monday in the rape of the girl who New Delhi police say was left for dead in a locked room, a case that has brought a new wave of protests against how Indian authorities handle sex crimes. (AP Photo/Channi Anand) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
INDIA-JUSTICE-PROTEST-RAPE(13 of20)
Activists from various women\'s rights organisation hold placards as they stage a silent demonstration against sexual assault and rapes on women, in Bangalore on April 22, 2015. AFP PHOTO/Manjunath KIRAN (Photo credit should read MANJUNATH KIRAN/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:MANJUNATH KIRAN via Getty Images)
The Lucknow Red Brigades(14 of20)
LUCKNOW, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA - 2014/11/04: A young girl of the Red Brigade waits on the roof of a house to learn self-defense in a suburb called Madiyaon, in the city of Lucknow in India. \n\nThe Red Brigade is a self-defense group that was founded in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India by Usha Vishwakarma who was a victim of an attempted rape. She decided that something must be done to protect the insecurities and sexual violence against women. Thus creating the Red Brigade Lucknow with some partners to try and make the streets a safer place for women to roam. \n\nThe Red Brigade mainly train young females the art of self-defense in order to help them feel safer. They are also attempting to help younger girls who are not allowed to go to school for fear that they may be raped on their way there by providing safety patrols so that younger girls can also be educated. The organisation is now receiving press coverage from all over the globe. (Photo by Jonas Gratzer/LightRocket via Getty Images) (credit:Jonas Gratzer via Getty Images)
The Lucknow Red Brigades(15 of20)
LUCKNOW, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA - 2014/11/04: Girls of the Red Brigade wait on the roof of a house to learn self-defense in a suburb called Madiyaon, in the city of Lucknow in India. \n\nThe Red Brigade is a self-defense group that was founded in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India by Usha Vishwakarma who was a victim of an attempted rape. She decided that something must be done to protect the insecurities and sexual violence against women. Thus creating the Red Brigade Lucknow with some partners to try and make the streets a safer place for women to roam. \n\nThe Red Brigade mainly train young females the art of self-defense in order to help them feel safer. They are also attempting to help younger girls who are not allowed to go to school for fear that they may be raped on their way there by providing safety patrols so that younger girls can also be educated. The organisation is now receiving press coverage from all over the globe. (Photo by Jonas Gratzer/LightRocket via Getty Images) (credit:Jonas Gratzer via Getty Images)
The Lucknow Red Brigades(16 of20)
LUCKNOW, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA - 2014/11/04: Girls of the Red Brigade wait on the roof of a house to learn self-defense in a suburb called Madiyaon, in the city of Lucknow in India. \n\nThe Red Brigade is a self-defense group that was founded in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India by Usha Vishwakarma who was a victim of an attempted rape. She decided that something must be done to protect the insecurities and sexual violence against women. Thus creating the Red Brigade Lucknow with some partners to try and make the streets a safer place for women to roam. \n\nThe Red Brigade mainly train young females the art of self-defense in order to help them feel safer. They are also attempting to help younger girls who are not allowed to go to school for fear that they may be raped on their way there by providing safety patrols so that younger girls can also be educated. The organisation is now receiving press coverage from all over the globe. (Photo by Jonas Gratzer/LightRocket via Getty Images) (credit:Jonas Gratzer via Getty Images)
The Lucknow Red Brigades(17 of20)
LUCKNOW, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA - 2014/11/04: Usha and Laxmi Wishwakarma, age 18, talk to each other about the latest atrocities that occurred in the city. \n\nThe Red Brigade is a self-defense group that was founded in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India by Usha Vishwakarma who was a victim of an attempted rape. She decided that something must be done to protect the insecurities and sexual violence against women. Thus creating the Red Brigade Lucknow with some partners to try and make the streets a safer place for women to roam. \n\nThe Red Brigade mainly train young females the art of self-defense in order to help them feel safer. They are also attempting to help younger girls who are not allowed to go to school for fear that they may be raped on their way there by providing safety patrols so that younger girls can also be educated. The organisation is now receiving press coverage from all over the globe. (Photo by Jonas Gratzer/LightRocket via Getty Images) (credit:Jonas Gratzer via Getty Images)
The Lucknow Red Brigades(18 of20)
LUCKNOW, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA - 2014/11/03: Laxmi is an 18 year old member of the \'Red Brigade\' at the local office in Madiyaons, a suburban slum of Lucknow city. \n\nThe Red Brigade is a self-defense group that was founded in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India by Usha Vishwakarma who was a victim of an attempted rape. She decided that something must be done to protect the insecurities and sexual violence against women. Thus creating the Red Brigade Lucknow with some partners to try and make the streets a safer place for women to roam. \n\nThe Red Brigade mainly train young females the art of self-defense in order to help them feel safer. They are also attempting to help younger girls who are not allowed to go to school for fear that they may be raped on their way there by providing safety patrols so that younger girls can also be educated. The organisation is now receiving press coverage from all over the globe. (Photo by Jonas Gratzer/LightRocket via Getty Images) (credit:Jonas Gratzer via Getty Images)
The Lucknow Red Brigades(19 of20)
LUCKNOW, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA - 2014/11/03: Two members of the Red Brigade put on make up and make each other look pretty. \n\nThe Red Brigade is a self-defense group that was founded in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India by Usha Vishwakarma who was a victim of an attempted rape. She decided that something must be done to protect the insecurities and sexual violence against women. Thus creating the Red Brigade Lucknow with some partners to try and make the streets a safer place for women to roam. \n\nThe Red Brigade mainly train young females the art of self-defense in order to help them feel safer. They are also attempting to help younger girls who are not allowed to go to school for fear that they may be raped on their way there by providing safety patrols so that younger girls can also be educated. The organisation is now receiving press coverage from all over the globe. (Photo by Jonas Gratzer/LightRocket via Getty Images) (credit:Jonas Gratzer via Getty Images)
INDIA-CRIME-RAPE-PROTEST(20 of20)
Indian activists from the Social Unity Center of India (SUCI) shout slogans against the state government in protest against the gang-rape and murder of two girls in the district of Badaun in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh and recent rapes in the eastern state of West Bengal, in Kolkata on June 7, 2014. The protests came amid a growing uproar over the killings in Uttar Pradesh, with the United Nations saying violence against women should be regarded as a matter of basic human rights. The two cousins, aged 14 and 12, were found hanging from a mango tree in their impoverished village, with subsequent tests showing they had been the victim of multiple sexual assaults. AFP PHOTO/ Dibyangshu Sarkar (Photo credit should read DIBYANGSHU SARKAR/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:DIBYANGSHU SARKAR via Getty Images)
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