Rohini
age 16, married at 15 in India
When word spread about a good marriage prospect in a neighboring village, a prospective suitor traveled with his parents to meet the girl and her family.
The girl, Rohini, was a shy, studious, 15-year-old. The man, 20 or 21, took an instant liking to her. He proposed marriage on the spot.
“I did not want to get married. I had other plans for my life. I wanted to continue studying.” But Rohini had no say. Her parents said, “yes,” and that was that.
In keeping with tradition, her father paid a dowry to the in-laws—75,000 rupees (US$1,700) and 10 grams in gold. He also covered the expenses for the wedding.
Rohini with her mother
When that day arrived, Rohini would leave her small, close-knit family, and join a large household—12 people in all. That made Rohini very sad. “I cried a lot, and I was afraid.”
Since she has no child to care for, she thought she might be able to return to school. But her husband does not want her to study, and Rohini is resigned to the view that it would be difficult to continue her classes with so many people in the house. So on most days, Rohini stays inside and does chores while her in-laws work in the fields.
Rohini and her younger sister, Deepali
“I am not used to staying in all day, doing chores, but I am grateful for not having to do farm work, I don’t know much about it.”
And when she cries too much, missing her family, her husband negotiates with his parents to let her go home for a short stay. Sometimes when Rohini visits her village, she gets to spend time with a girlfriend—also married—if one happens to be visiting her own parents, too. That makes Rohini happy.
More About Rohini
Delaying Childbirth
Rohini has completed a life skills course so understands the health risks associated with early pregnancy. She wants—and has convinced her husband—to wait until she is at least 18 before having their
first child.
The couple, married for a year now, is using abstinence for birth control; Rohini sleeps with the un-marrried women in her in-laws' home. For now, her in-laws appear to support her preference to delay pregnancy. But the director of the local life skills program is quick to point out that Rohini's in-laws could change their minds at any time and insist she have a
baby sooner.
To learn more about the risks of early pregnancy, see Know the Facts.
Wearing Saris
Before she married, Rohini enjoyed wearing kurtas with salwar pants—loose-fitting, tunic-like outfits that are popular with many Indian women. But once married, her in-laws insisted that she wear the more traditional sari. Rohini told us she does not like saris.
To see what the kurta with salwar looks like, view Reshma's story in "Creating a Brighter Future."
