A nine-year-old girl is being cared for in government custody after police in India prevented her marriage to a 39-year-old man last week.

In the southern state of Tamil Nadu, where government statistics indicated authorities blocked over 1,500 child marriages in 2017, an anonymous call to the local all-female police force resulted in an investigation which ultimately led to the rescue of the young girl.

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The Times of India (TOI) reported that the girl was placed in the care of India’s Child Welfare Committee after the investigation found significant evidence suggesting arrangements for an impending marriage had been put in place.

Even in an area where child marriage is unfortunately all too common, Indian officials were shocked at the massive discrepancy in age between the middle-aged man and his pre-pubescent bride to be.

"The proposal for child marriage to a girl at such a tender age is very rare in Trichy," district Social Welfare Officer S Usha told TOI.

Residents of the village where the young girl lived confirmed that it is a common practice for girls to become “fixed” into a marriage with older men before puberty. Actual weddings typically take place once a girl reaches puberty.

UNICEF statistics confirm this trend, claiming that almost half of all brides in India were married as girls. The organization notes that while the number of child brides is slowly declining, down to 27% of all marriages in 2016 versus 54% in in 1992-93, eliminating this practice is especially difficult in rural and impoverished areas of the country.

Poverty and child marriage are deeply intertwined, as many cultures view women not only as non-wage earners, but also as financially burdensome. Arranging for the marriage of a young girl might mean having one less mouth to feed for a poor family, and sometimes even results in dowry exchanges of money or goods.

Read More: Meet 6 Child Brides Who Stood Up for What's Right

In this case, TOI reported that the young girl lived with a widowed mother employed as an agricultural laborer. For many impoverished families, the stark reality is that having young girls married off to older men might be as much of a financial decision as anything else.

Global Citizen campaigns on the United Nations’ Global Goals for Sustainable Development, and believes no child should be forced to marry against their will. Eliminating child marriage means achieving gender equality (goal number five) as well as ending extreme poverty (goal number one). You can join us by taking action here.

No matter the specifics behind any particular case of child marriage, the consequences for vulnerable girls involved often look the same around the world.

In India, UNICEF reports that girls married as children are more likely to drop out of school, have low-paying jobs, develop fewer skills, and face violence and abuse in the home. The UN also noted that in developing countries around the world, complications from pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death among older adolescents.

At least one young girl in India escaped this potential fate. But there are millions more like her whose futures must also be protected.

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India Police Prevent a 9-Year-Olds Marriage to a 39-Year-Old Man

By Andrew McMaster