Many health issues are arising from early marriage and early pregnancy, significantly affecting the health of girls and teenagers. Despite Nepal’s legal requirement that marriage should occur only after the age of 20, young girls under 20 who become pregnant due to child marriages face various health risks, according to Rishav Shrestha, Public Health Officer in Rupandehi. He added that if girls marry at a young age, they are at a higher risk of severe health issues due to pregnancy, including potential harm to both their health and that of the baby. These risks include inadequate self-care, complications during pregnancy, challenges in caring for the child after birth, negative long-term health effects, and an increased likelihood of later issues such as organ failure and cervical cancer.
The number of teenage mothers coming to Bhim Hospital, Bhairahawa due to various problems due to child marriage is increasing day by day. In the fiscal year 2022/2023, 90 young women under the age of 20 came to the hospital for treatment due to their early marriage. Similarly, in 2023/2024, 100 adolescent mothers under the age of 20 were treated at the hospital. Similarly, in 2021/2022, 113 teenage mothers who married at a young age and gave birth at a young age came with problems such as lower abdominal pain, white discharge, uterine infection, and so on, according to the statistics of the hospital. According to the Nepal Demographic and Health Survey 2022, 34.9% of individuals aged 20 to 24 and 7% of men in Nepal were married before the age of 18. Among those 15 to 19 years old, 78.4% are unmarried, while 21.6% are married, with 20.8% of these marriages occurring at age 15. The statistics reveal that children from poor and marginalized communities, including Dalit, Janajati, and Muslim groups, tend to marry at younger ages more frequently than those from other communities.
Article 39(5) of the Constitution of Nepal states: “No child shall be subjected to child marriage, transported illegally, kidnapped, or taken hostage.” Such actions are prohibited and punishable under federal law, which also guarantees that children who suffer from these practices have the right to receive compensation from the perpetrators. Furthermore, Section 173 of the Criminal Code Act 2017 sets the legal age for marriage at 20 years. Despite these provisions, early marriage and early pregnancy continue to significantly impact the health of girls and teenagers in Rupandehi.