Child Marriage: Money talks

This is a fascinating article on a program in India called Apni Beti Apni Dhan, or Our Daughters, Our Wealth. Early marriage often marks the end of a girls education and is therefore a powerful driver of the intergenerational cycle of poverty. Apni Beti Apni Dhan gives poor families 500 rupees ($11, the equivalent of less than half a week’s pay) when a daughter is born, and also deposits money into a savings account. If the girl turns 18 unwed, she is eligible to redeem the bond, worth 25,000 rupees (roughly $500, or one third of an average yearly income).