Strategy Launched to End Child Marriage in Nepal

14/11/21

Leila Orlandi Ba

Nepal and Human Rights Researcher, 

Global Human Rights Defense.

Nepal’s marriage law stipulates that it is illegal to get married below the age of 20 years, but current records of the ministry of health and population shows that at least 41% of child marriages continue to take place due to religious, social, and economical reasons.

Therefore, the Lumbini Province government has launched a 10-year strategy to end child marriage in the province. Minister for Law, Women, Children, and Senior Citizens Rama Gharti shared that the new strategy was introduced to end child marriage as although a punishable crime, child marriage was still in practice in the province. Minister Gharti called for cooperation from social organizations and the public to successfully implement the strategy to end child marriage in all the local units within 2030.

The local units will collaborate with the schools to educate, and empower children and their parents alike through imparting skills-based training and awareness drive.

Sources and further reading:

Lumbini government launches strategy to end child marriage, November 2021.

https://nepalnews.com.np/s/nation/lumbini-govt-launches-strategy-to-end-child-marriage  

Police stops child marriage in Doti, June, 2021

https://nepalnews.com.np/s/nation/child-marriage-annulled-in-dhoti