In contemporary society, marriage certificates are important to married women since it provides them with legal rights and tries to simplify some future processes. Though it is not mandatory for the couples to register under the Hindu Marriage Act 1955 still many women opt for the registration of marriage for future problems. Below are some of the serious challenges that may be pulled on women who lack a marriage certificate:
Legal Recognition of Marriage
The marriage certificate is an authentic legal document that formally certifies a marriage in a legal way in the eyes of the state. Without it, a woman can be denied a right to get some important social security assistance, like pension and health schemes. Under the Employees’ Pension Scheme (EPS) for example, a married woman is only pensionable if her marriage to the man is legal. This document protects her in case there are claims after her husband is deceased.
Divorce and Separation Case Management
Unregistered marriages also pose problems when they want to separate or divorce like any other married couple. The annulment of a marriage based on the non-existence of customs and lack of official registration was done by the Supreme Court in May 2024.
Saptapadi is the traditional Hindu way of affirming marriage and if the marriage must be registered legally does it to ensure that the court will not declare the marriage as non-existent
Visa and Immigration Concerns
In the case where women want to follow their husbands to other countries, a marriage certificate may be required with regard to visa and immigration. Lack of this document may pose challenges in visa application or immigration procedures that may make it hard for her to live with her husband in another country.
Protection from Crime and Desertion
Marriage registration assists in preventing likely offences against women such as abandonment. This is counterproductive: the task of tracking a man who disappears shortly after the wedding becomes impossible in the absence of documentation, and a wife is left defenseless.
Child Legitimacy Issues
If the parents get married but their union is not officially documented, children born of such a union may be required to go to court to seek recognition of their birth rights. Something as basic as registration could help avoid these struggles to ensure the defense of the child’s legal status.