Kalyana Lakshmi and Shadi Mubarak Scheme

A study was undertaken by the School of Gender Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Hyderabad to explore the impact of the schemes Kalyana Lakshmi and Shadi Mubarak in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

About the Scheme

They are the conditional cash transfer schemes introduced in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh with the objective of curbing child marriage and helping with marriage expenditure.

Findings of the Study

The study explored the schemes potential to delay the age of marriage and, through it, address the discrimination and gender inequality inherent in the practice. The study found that:

• The schemes which were expected to drive the message that that child marriage as a social problem is widely seen as a poverty alleviation scheme.
• These schemes have become popular since they provide financial assistance to poor families to meet marriage expenditure.
• Even though the financial component has increased the value of women the negative fallout was it was reinforcing dowry and marriage expenses being borne by the bride’s family.

The study recommends these schemes to be linked with the empowerment of girls through education and livelihood opportunities. So this could motivate families to prioritise the education and employment of their daughters and not marriage.