At the age of 14, she is a mother

On her wedding day, Krishna was just 11 and her husband Gopal Kishan, 13. Today, at the age of 14, she’s mother of a four months old boy. Krishna nearly died in childbirth and had to be hospitalized for days following the delivery. Gopal describes his wife's recovery as "nothing less than a miracle." Gopal, who wanted to have a child and risk his young wife’s life “because of boredom”, now regularly comes home drunk as he hasn’t got any work, as the soybean fields which his family owns are not that fertile now. Although the legal age for marriage in India is 18, the law remains a farce as 40% of the world's child marriages occur in India. Although the UN has been working hand in hand with the government of India to raise awareness, strengthen law enforcement and invest in the education of girls, many of our leaders still consider child marriage as a solution to protect girls from sexual atrocities like rape. These heartbreaking photos throw light on the social evil of child marriage through the life of Krishna and her husband.

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