Girls Get Equal: A push to prevent early, child, and forced marriages

Nepal’s fight against child, early, and forced marriages has gained urgency in recent years, but the problem remains deeply ingrained in the fabric of society. Despite legal frameworks, such as the Child Marriage Act of 2009, prohibiting marriage for girls before the age of 20, Nepal continues to face alarming statistics. Approximately 30.4 percent of girls aged 15 to 17 are married, and 10.2 percent of girls aged 10 to 14 have already been married. The cultural, economic, and social drivers behind these figures are complex and multifaceted, from deeply rooted traditions and customs to economic hardships that push families to marry off their daughters at an early age.

In particular, the remote region—where cultural practices and dowry systems remain entrenched—sees widespread child marriages. The marriage of young girls for a dowry, often minimal at first, only to see their families demand higher dowries as the girls grow older, commercializes the institution of marriage. This has led to a disturbing rise in the incidence of child marriages in rural and remote areas. Additionally, early marriage, compounded with early childbirth, exposes girls to severe health risks, including maternal mortality and complications, while curbing their educational and economic opportunities.

To address this pervasive issue, Plan International Nepal launched the Girls Get Equal (GGE): Preventing Child, Early and Forced Marriage project in 2020. The initiative targets preventing child, early, and forced marriages in 10 local governments across Bardiya, Kalikot, and Jumla districts, three of the most marginalized and hard-hit regions in Nepal. The project aimed to support families with daughters at high risk of child, early and forced marriage (CEFM) by increasing their income, which in turn would allow them to avoid such marriages. By mobilizing communities, the project addressed the root causes of CEFM and promoted social norms that value girls and encourage delayed marriages for both girls and boys. It also advocated for stronger laws and policies related to child protection. The main objectives of the project included keeping girls in school, providing access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) information, empowering out-of-school youth and their families economically, challenging discriminatory social norms, and promoting sustainable child protection mechanisms.

Through various activities, the project directly reached a significant number of individuals. Over 41,886 adolescents gained SRHR knowledge, and 747 out-of-school children were re-enrolled in school. The project trained 1,223 teachers on equity and inclusive teaching practices, and 1,030 members of Parent-Teacher Associations (PTA) and School Management Committees (SMC) were trained as well. Additionally, 486 children participated in alternative basic education, while 184 low-income families received financial assistance for economic improvement. Over 1,500 religious leaders joined the campaign against child marriage, and more than 16,000 civil society members were involved in various advocacy efforts. Through awareness campaigns, more than 105,200 people were sensitized about CEFM and child rights.

The project also achieved notable policy successes. It played a pivotal role in advocating for the endorsement of a new child protection policy at the local government level and contributed to the integration of CEFM-related issues into national and local development plans. Additionally, the project supported the revision of school curricula to include more gender-responsive education and SRHR content, aligning with broader efforts to protect children from early marriage and its associated risks. These policy achievements have paved the way for more systemic, long-term changes in addressing child marriage at both the community and national levels.

The project saw substantial progress in preventing child marriage rates, which dropped from 58 percent to 23 percent in the project’s target areas in the five-years of project implementation (2020-2024). This success was especially notable in Jumla, where the rate reduced from 71 percent to 20 percent, and in Kalikot and Bardiya, where reductions of 27 percent and 22 percent, respectively, were observed. Despite these achievements, the project faced challenges such as persistent economic hardships in rural communities, limited job opportunities, and insufficient school infrastructure. Additionally, the project’s limited duration could lead to reduced engagement from stakeholders after its completion, and delays in the implementation of child protection policies at the local level were another challenge. These factors highlight the need for continued efforts and capacity building to sustain the progress made.

Swastika, a Champion of Change (CoC) member from Bardiya spent two years learning about menstrual hygiene, sexual and reproductive health and rights, child marriage and its consequences, and other related topics through the GGE project. Afterward, she began sharing her knowledge with others. “We educate not only teens and youths but also our mothers and grandmothers because education on these topics is essential for everyone,” she said. “We also collaborated with health post officials to make health posts adolescent- and women-friendly.”

She explains, “As members of the CoC, we are actively campaigning against child marriage. My friends and I have launched several campaigns, including one called ‘One Rupee for Girls’ Education’. We set up a snack shop in the local market to collect small contributions of one rupee. The funds are then used in collaboration with a local school in our community. Together with the school management team, we identify the most marginalized girls and provide them with uniforms and stationery to ensure they can continue their education without any obstacles. Additionally, we raise awareness among students about the consequences of child marriage and actively involve them in our campaign.”

In Bardiya, Aakash, the president of the Parivartan Child Club, shares how the club is taking action to raise awareness about child rights and child marriage. “Our Child Club organizes extracurricular activities every Friday, such as attendance answering, speech competitions, and essay writing. In these activities, we specifically address child rights and child marriage issues. We also engage in enrollment campaigns to bring children who are out of school back into the education system.”

In Kalikot, Tek Bahadur Bishwakarma, a school principal, speaks about the importance of creating a child-friendly school environment. “To make our school child-friendly, we have created separate codes of conduct for teachers, students, parents, and the school management committee, based on the child protection policy, and we ensure they are followed. We also organize various community meetings targeting parents to raise awareness about child rights.”

“My parents tried to stop me when I asked their permission to join a training programme to learn how to repair mobile phones,” says 23-year-old Samjhana who comes from a small indigenous community in Bardiya district, western Nepal. “They thought it was a job only for men and that a woman wouldn’t be able to learn the skills and run a mobile repair shop.”

Following the training provided by Plan International, Samjhana set up a mobile repair centre with her friend Kamala who took part in the same training course. They are the only female mobile phone repairs in their community. “We opened a shop in the market area of our village. Plan International supported us with equipment including a computer, furniture and mobile phone accessories.” “It’s important for girls to learn skills to start their own businesses and become financially independent before they get married. These skills will support us in every step and help us to earn respect within our communities,” says Samjhana.

In Jumla, Mamata highlights the significance of awareness about contraceptive methods to prevent unwanted pregnancies. “In the teenage years, physical development happens quickly, and menstruation starts. At this time, there is an attraction to the opposite sex. Therefore, it is essential to understand contraceptive methods to prevent unwanted pregnancies.”

In Kalikot, the work of the local women’s cooperative is contributing to the fight against child marriage. “Our cooperative is a child marriage-free cooperative. We prioritize promoting entrepreneurship for poor adolescent girls by providing loans. We only provide loans if the parents of the girls sign a commitment letter stating they will not engage in child marriage,” shares Apekshya, the treasurer of the Badimalika Women’s Agricultural and Loan Cooperative.

In Kalikot, religious leaders are also playing a role in changing attitudes towards early marriage. “Earlier, I used to perform marriage ceremonies for people even if they were underage. Nepal’s law used to recognize marriages of individuals who were 16 or older. But now, I no longer perform marriages for anyone under 20. I check the citizenship or birth certificate of both the bride and groom. Only if both have reached the age of 20 do I officiate the marriage,” explains Janmadev Neupane, a religious leader from Kalikot.

Laxman Bahadur Shahi, the head of Hima Rural Municipality in Jumla, discusses the role of local governance in challenging traditional practices. “With the support of Plan International Nepal and its partner organizations, Hima Municipality has created a religious network to implement a policy that only allows marriages for individuals over 20 years old. This policy is now being followed by all religious leaders and Dhami-Jhankris (traditional healers) in the municipality.”

Sitali Budha, the Vice-chairperson of Sija Municipality in Jumla, shares the progress made in eliminating child marriage. “With the support of the project, we have adopted a five-year strategy to eliminate child marriage, and two wards in our municipality have already been declared child marriage-free. Our goal is to declare the entire municipality child marriage-free within the set timeframe.”

Ratan Bahadur Shahi, Chairperson of Hima Rural Municipality-1, says that although the GGE project has concluded, efforts to curb child marriage will continue. “We are committed to this,” he stated. He also highlighted contradictions in the laws, which lack clarity. “For instance, there is no provision for issuing a marriage certificate to couples involved in child marriage since it is illegal. However, if they have a child, we are required to issue a birth certificate even if the parents do not have a marriage certificate,” he explained.

Mina Kumari Parajuli, Regional Manager at Plan International Nepal’s West Regional Office, Surkhet, says the organization works in three districts—Bardiya, Kalikot, and Jumla—where the child marriage rate was previously 58 percent, significantly higher than the national average of 43 percent. “Hence, it was very important to work on this project,” she said. The project also provided valuable insights, research, data, and approaches related to child marriage, which will be instrumental for future initiatives, she concluded.