Sexual Harassment of Child Brides in India: Case Study of Bathinda District of Punjab

Centuries have come, and centuries have gone, but the situations of women have marginally changed. Still they are exploited not only in social spheres but also in household chores. As a women passes through various phases of her life, she undergoes various types of exploitation that not only makes her feel physically and mentally insecure, but also decreases herself worthiness by manifold. The objective of this study is to bring to the surface the sexual exploitation of child brides. Child marriage and after that sexual abuse of child brides is one of the ways in which women are sexually harassed by their partners even the sexual harassment is a crime under section 509 IPC. Through this paper, the sexual harassment of child brides highlighted. The study is a humble attempt to recommend some measures to stop child marriages and sexual abuse of the child bride/ marital rape cases. For this purpose, case studies from Bathinda District of Punjab have been collected and evaluated. The paper tries to evaluate the legislative measures against the two activities such as child marriage and sexual abuse of child brides. Thus this paper is of an immense important for women empowerment as it creates awareness among the people on the issue and bring to the kind notice that the sexual harassment of child brides is crime and it should be stopped.