Rs 20,000 for Marrying After Age of 20 to Reduce Child Marriage

  June 27, 2024 By: INSEC

Bodebarsain Municipality has planned to provide Rs 20,000 to girls from Dalit community who get married after reaching the age of 20. For the fiscal year 2024/2025, the policy program and budget introduced by the municipality during the 11th Municipal Assembly on June 22 includes a provision to provide Rs 20,000 to girls from Dalit community who marry after reaching the age of 20, to reduce instances of child marriage.

Deputy Mayor Renukumari Shah expressed her belief that the program will contribute to the success of the joint campaign against child marriage. She stated, ‘Child marriage is prevalent in many places here, and we hope that this campaign will effectively reduce its occurrence’. Shah added that they will provide Rs 20,000 in cash to women of the Dalit community who get married after the age of 20. Additionally, they will support women who get married after graduation. She mentioned that such programs will help in spreading awareness about child marriage at the school level.

Similarly, Mayor Atesh Kumar Singh stated that they are initiating such programs because, despite numerous efforts to reduce child marriage, it has not yet been eradicated. He added that even though the law mandates marriage after the age of twenty, it has not been fully implemented in practice.

Salma Khatun, Chairperson of the District Child Club Network, emphasized the need to carry out such campaigns throughout the district, as the practice of early marriage still persists. Various municipalities and non-governmental organizations in the district are conducting public awareness programs among children and parents. These initiatives include performing street plays, forming children’s clubs and training them, promoting child-friendly governance, and other activities aimed at reducing child marriage.

Only Surunga Municipality and Khadak Municipality of Saptari have been declared as child marriage free Municipalities in Madhesh Province so far. Surunga Municipality was declared a child marriage-free Municipality on November 30, 2022, and Khadak Municipality on December 28, 2023. Kanchanrup Municipality of Saptari was declared the first child-friendly Municipality of Madhesh Province and the third child-friendly Municipality of Nepal on September 5, 2019.

Bijay Narayan Kapair, Ward Chairperson of Ward No. 7, stated that the municipality plans to prioritize the program against child marriage by allocating a budget specifically to prevent such practices.

Child rights activist Upendra Shah expressed his wish for the successful implementation of the program. He emphasized the importance of making children and parents aware of the effects of child marriage and its long term consequences.


Manohar Kumar Pokharel