Dolatpura Kotda, Rajasthan: Mali Devi, a 27-year-old daily wage labourer in Dolatpur Kotda, 35 kilometers north-east of Jaipur, was married at 13 as a part of a tradition called “Gona”, where marriages between children are fixed by families. When she turned 18, she moved in with her husband, Hanuman Sahai, also a daily wage labourer. Like Devi, 51.2% of married women aged between 20 to 24 years in Rajasthan were married before the legal age of 18, according to the Annual Health Survey 2012-13. At 22, Devi gave birth to her first daughter, Sonu. Given the staunch patriarchy of her society, she faced some hostility from her in-laws, although her husband was very supportive. Pressure mounted on her to deliver a second child, a boy. After two years, she was pregnant again. When her second child was also a girl, Devi was so happy that she named her “Khushi” (happiness).

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