The Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2021 was introduced in the Parliament by the Union Minister, WCD, earlier this month and referred by her to a standing committee. The bill seeks to bring the legal age for girl’s marriage at par with men’s marriage at 21 years, up from the current 18 years, overriding all existing laws related to marriage. Coined as a “decisive step” in the country’s history, the Bill seems well-intentioned. Nonetheless, its nuances and supportive ecosystems are being questioned by many stakeholders, including champions of women’s rights, CSOs, and youth champions, to name a few.
M.K. Padma Kumar is involved in developing strategies and managing operations for the IPE Global Group.
He has over 25 years of experience in the development sector, working in civil society organisations and international development agencies like DANIDA and DFID. As the Head of State Partnerships at the DFID India, he was responsible for developing partnerships, programme design, management and strategic oversight of all programmes implemented in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha. He has managed various development programmes. His expertise lies in driving operational, financial and programmatic transformations. Before DFID, he was associated with Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), Help Age and World Wildlife Fund.
He holds a Master’s degree in Business Management with specialisation in Human Resource Management and Finance. He is extensively trained in Project Cycle Management, Grant Management, Performance Management, Leadership Skills and Change Management.
