Generational trends in education and marriage norms in rural India: evidence from the Pune Maternal Nutrition Study.

Abstract

Introduction: Globally in 2024, 1 in 5 women aged 20-24 years worldwide had been married before the age of 18 years. One reason for this persistent prevalence of underage marriage may be the slow change in social norms relating to education levels and women's marriage age. However, we know little about how norms change, and whether they vary by socio-demographic characteristics. We aimed to investigate changes in social norms across generations in rural Maharashtra, India.

Methods: To understand the status quo, we identified education levels and marriage ages typical of contemporary young adults in rural Maharashtra using the National Family Health Survey. To see if norms have shifted across generations, we analysed data on education and marriage age in 659 parent-adolescent dyads from the Pune Maternal Nutrition Study (PMNS) in rural Maharashtra. To ascertain if norms might shift in the future, we investigated adolescents' aspirations for their future hypothetical children's education and marriage, and classified adolescents as wanting (a) their children to decide themselves, (b) more education and later marriage age, or (c) the status quo. We assessed whether these aspirations differed by socio-demographic characteristics.

Results: Compared to the status quo and PMNS adults, PMNS adolescents had substantially more education, and girls were marrying slightly later. About 70% of the adolescents wanted their children to themselves decide their schooling. The remainder of both sexes wanted their children to have the same education as them (15 years). Only 10% of adolescent girls and 14% of boys wanted their child to decide their own marriage age. Most adolescents wanted a later marriage age for their children than their own experience. Lower educated and early married girls aspired for greater education for their children. More educated boys aspired for later marriage for their children.

Discussion: Education norms have changed by a larger magnitude than marriage age norms. Adolescents are already attaining their education aspirations, but aspire for later marriage of their children, more so for their hypothetical sons than daughters. Since senior household members remain influential in marriage decisions, it may take time before adolescents' aspirations for their children become a new norm.