The United Nations, March 25 (IPS) -As the sun rises over the Odysha coast of East India, as the sun rises, dozens of children prepare for school. Unfortunately, the arrival of the first period for many girls in the state can mean the end of school days as they face social pressure to become a bride.
Despite significant progress in recent decades, India is still One -third of the world’s children. This market share is the same as the next 10 countries.
“There were people who wanted to be a daughter -in -law at the feast. But during that period, I didn’t know much of marriage or good or bad. Among them, I wanted to get married later.
Child marriage is a world -class challenge. Today, more than 660 million girls and women have married as children today. Every year, about 12 million girls become children before they are 18 years old.
In poor communities, children’s marriage is often considered to escape from poverty. But it often leads to lifelong hardships, such as early pregnancy, excluding education, and limited opportunities. Mutual cross -crisis, such as conflict, economic instability and climate shock, further strengthens the weakness of young girls.
Thankfully, effective interventions can change social stories and end their marriage. For example, in 2019, the ODISHA government partnership with UNICEF and started a five -year strategic action plan to end the marriage by 2030. Advika (“I am unique”)A program that strengthens youth through education, leadership training and community participation.
Until now, it has reached 2.5 million youths, declaring more than 11,000 villages as a child’s marriage, and in 2022, about 950 children married.
Progress and continuous challenge
Programs such as Advika prove that they can prevent children’s marriage. In the last 25 years, a significant progress has been made to reduce children’s marriage worldwide. 66 million children married I avoided that time. But child marriage still remains a sad reality for too many girls. Stark area difference Emphasis on the need for customized strategies:
- • South Asia It continues to lead the global reduction and remains to remove marriage in 55 years, but it still accounts for almost 45 % (total 290 million) of the world’s priests.
• Sahara -south Africa There are 127 million children, the second largest global share (20 %) is dark. The current speedy area has been over 200 years in the end of practice.
• Latin America and Caribbean It is lagging behind the second highest child’s marriage level by 2030.
• In the Middle East and North AfricaProgress was stagnant after the previous improvement, as well as Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
This regional imbalance emphasizes the urgent need for strengthened efforts and contexts so that no region remains in the fight to end the marriage of children. To meet Sustainable development goals 5.3 If you want to end your child’s marriage by 2030, progress requires doubles.
Effective arbitration for the end of child marriage
We know that child marriage can be prevented. no way Recent UNFPA-UniceF Thesis Emphasize three effective strategies.
1. Increased economic independence of girls
Poverty is the main driver of child marriage. School education, financial literacy and cash incentives have been proved to have succeeded in developing agencies and economic self -sufficiency, reducing the need to marry as a child of financial security means.
In ODISHA, girls like Shilo can begin to imagine a brighter future when they empower education and technical training. Along with cash transfer, the advantageous job search market for women with ‘cash plus’ service, such as education, health or livelihood intervention, can contribute to the health and welfare of the girl, build a sense of choice, and to say more about the decisions that affect the youth girls, to strengthen the poverty and child’s marriage cycle by strengthening the youth girls.
2. Improvement of education and living technology
Education is one of the most effective shields for child marriage. Studies show that the completion of secondary school can reduce child marriage to two -thirds. Education provides life skills, literacy and confidence, providing equipment to make information based on information and to build a support network. In addition to official education, techniques such as financial plans and digital literacy can be equipped with girls to imagine the future other than marriage.
4. Focus on sexual health and reproductive health and rights (SRHR)
Many young girls are at risk of early marriage due to lack of SRHR resources and support. In some areas, unintended pregnancy leads to child marriage. By providing comprehensive sex education and access to youth -friendly health services, we help girls to choose to provide safe, information and authority. This delays early marriage and promotes healthy development. It can also raise the girls’ perceptions of their rights and resist the pressure that can lead to marriage.
Long -term investment for sustainable changes
Long -term promises are required to solve the root cause of child marriage. It is essential to challenge harmful gender and social norms and promote gender equality. Support for legal reform, policy change and health, education and child protection sectors will strengthen these efforts and create an environment where girls are worth more than marriage.
When the world approaches the 30th anniversary Beijing Declaration and Behavior Platform (BEIJING+ 30) 2025 -A non -bonus blueprint for gender equality and women’s rights is important to end the devotion to gender equality and to end violence against women and girls. We need urgent and collective actions to solve the extensive damage of gender inequality, including child marriage.
By accelerating our actions now, we can build a future where all girls can be safe, educated and choose their own way. The child’s marriage is not only a goal, but also requires justice from all girls, all communities and all future generations.
Sheema Sen GUPTA UNICEF Child Protection and Migrant Director. She was represented in Iraq in Afghanistan and Bangladesh and was a deputy director. Before this, he was the head of the child protection program in Somalia and Ghana.
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