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According to the Sustainable Development Goals, the government of Nepal aims to eliminate child marriage by 2030. However, child marriage continues to last in various communities. For example, Deurupa Kami, a 50-year-old of Kankasundari Rural Municipality-6 in Laharj village, experienced this issue. Deurupa, now a mother of three sons, was married at the tender age of 13, after having menstruated only once.
She deeply regrets marrying at a young age. her early marriage. Reflecting on her past, she acknowledges that her marriage was driven by traditional practices, illiteracy, and pressure from her mother. Her early marriage deprived her of educational and employment opportunities, largely due to the poverty and financial constraints of her family.
Due to marrying at a young age, she is now filled with regret. Her family’s poverty and weak economic condition led her to marry early, which deprived her of opportunities for education and employment, resulting in significant regret. She says, “I was married at a young age because of traditional practices, illiteracy, and pressure from my mother.” Regretting her early marriage, Deurupa advices  others against child marriage.
She mentioned that recently, a girl from this village was married before reaching the age of 20, and has since given birth to a child. However, due to the early marriage, neither the child’s birth certificate nor the marriage registration card has been issued. As a result of the missing birth registration, the child is being deprived of essential child nutrition allowances.
Similarly, Yekumaya Hamal of Kankasundari Rural Municipality-6 in Laharj village was married at the age of 13. Now 40 years old, Hamal became a mother for the first time at 17. Despite having experienced child marriage herself, she actively urges others to avoid it. She is now filled with regret over her early marriage.Even though she married at a young age, Hamal, who is now a mother of three, says she will ensure that her sons and daughters marry only when they are at least 20 years old .
Nirmaya Hamal from the same village had a different experience. After reaching the age of 20, she had a love marriage while still studying. However, she now feels deeply regretful for leaving her studies to get married. She reflects, “My friends continued their education, and some even found employment. Meanwhile, I became a mother of two children. Now, I have significant regret. We must all work together to prevent the rise of child marriages caused by illiteracy and poverty.”
She stated that despite increasing awareness in the villages, poverty persists. If the poor are not integrated into productive activities, child marriage will continue. She emphasized that a greater focus on policy measures is necessary to effectively reduce child marriage.
Deurupa, Ekumaya, Bhullo, and Nirmaya of Kankasundari Rural Municipality-6 are representative examples of a broader issue. Many villagers in the area have experienced child marriages, and like these individuals, hundreds of women in Kankasundari are now expressing deep regret over their early marriages.
Kankasundari Rural Municipality collaborated with the non-governmental organization Cooperation for Self Respect (CAD Nepal) Jumla to conduct various awareness programs, which have increased awareness about the harm caused by child marriage. As a result, Chief Administrative Officer Dipendra Bhandari reported that even teenage girls in the village have been reminded about the prohibition of child marriage. He noted a reduction in child marriages compared to before but emphasized that continued collective effort is essential to fully address the issue.

Mandutta Rawal