As the District Magistrate you are posted in a district that had been infamous for girl-child marriages. The government introduced a contributory scheme two decades ago, where the government contributed the same amount as the parents, into an account, for their girl child of age 0 to 7 years. The total sum could be withdrawn only when the girl turns eighteen and is unmarried. Due to this scheme, a new pattern has emerged. All girls are married as soon as they turn eighteen and incidents of dowry have increased substantially - because the community customs require paying the sum commensurate to the age of the girl. Further, parents now tend to save money for the scheme instead of investing in girl's education. As the local administration tries to tackle the current situation it looks up to you for ideas and leadership: (a) Identify the factors which have led to such outcomes. (b) Devise a strategy, keeping in mind the multiple aspects of the situation.

a) Factors responsible

1. Tradition - Girls are considered as burden on the family, who need to be married off as soon as possible.

2. Economic - a) The income received from the government scheme is being used for marriage, not productively. b) Marrying the girl early results in a lower dowry.

3. Social - The community customs and social environment add a pressure on families to marry their girls quickly.

As an administrator, the values I need to exhibit here are- • Empathy and compassion • Concern for dignity of individual • Respect for women and gender equality

Plan of Action

1. The scheme needs to be reformed. A provision must be introduced which first mandates the use of the money for girl education upto class XII.

2. Instead of releasing the full sum in one go, the release should be linked to certain criteria. e.g. Full sum to be released only if girl is opting for higher education; for other purposes, it could be linked to defined time periods.

3. To facilitate the above, proper reasons for withdrawal should be asked. If the reason is marriage, then the family must be advised about the value of higher education for girls, and how it is beneficial. That being said, nothing should be forced upon them, as it is legal to marry girls at 18 years.

4. Awareness campaigns, use of mass media, and behavioural economics must be used to bring a change in the customs.

5. Dowry is a crime, and thus the law should be strictly enforced.

6. Women role models and success stories will be used to encourage a long-term change.