UN programme to end child marriages sees progress in India, looks to promote adolescent rights in next phase

The steering committee comprises senior representatives from international bilateral government agencies, private donors, and representatives from UNFPA and UNICEF headquarters and regional offices. The team is presently in Odisha and will visit New Delhi later.

The global programme, currently in its second phase (2020-2023), has reached over two million girls through life skills and education interventions, and galvanised 20 million community members to take action against child marriages and promote adolescent empowerment in 175 districts across 15 states in India. The programme has supported close to 85,000 adolescent girls in India at risk of child marriage to enrol or remain in school.

“Eradicating child marriage requires multi-pronged, context-specific, collaborative action. Parents, community members, traditional and religious leaders, teachers, local authorities and youth, boys as well as girls, all need to be consulted and involved in working towards ending child marriage – so that in the near future, all young people may choose for themselves whether, when and whom to marry,” Vogels said.

India has seen a steady decline in the prevalence of child marriage, from 47.4 per cent in 2005 to 23.3 per cent in 2021. The progress in India has led to a 50 per cent decline in child marriage in South Asia. However, the Covid-19 pandemic is likely to roll back the gains made so far. The health, social, political and economic effects of the pandemic have worsened existing systemic gender inequalities and estimates indicate up to 10 million more girls could become child brides globally as a result of the pandemic, according to an official UNFPA-UNICEF statement.

UNFPA India representative Andrea Wojnar said, “Child marriage, because of its linkages with poverty, low levels of education and poor access to essential services can lead to increased risk of early pregnancy and maternal mortality. We must take stock of what has and has not worked and keep our focus on reaching the most vulnerable and marginalised adolescents, including those in remote areas. We cannot afford to lose the momentum of the significant progress already made in India.”

The global programme will soon enter its third phase. This phase has the longer-term, gender-transformative goal of enabling significantly larger numbers of adolescent girls and boys to fully enjoy their rights and choices and experience a childhood free from the risk of marriage. Advancing adolescent rights, agency and autonomy is the most critical pathway to achieving the global common goal of eliminating harmful practices against women and girls by 2030. India’s progress on this front is critical to the success of the global programme, and the achievement of the sustainable development goal of ending early, child and forced marriage, according to the statement.

Cynthia McCaffery, UNICEF India representative, said, “Child marriage spells an end to childhood, deprives children of their rights and leads to negative consequences for society. India’s progress towards the reduction of child marriage has made important contributions to its global decline.”