KATHMANDU, Nov 17: The Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens (MoWCSC) has announced that it is in the final stage of publishing 'National Strategy for Ending Child Marriage 2081' with the aim of ending child marriage across the country.
Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizens Nawal Kishor Sah Sudi said on Saturday that the development of the strategy has been reached its final stage with the goal to prevent the problems related to child marriage including unstable married life, various health problems due to birth before maturity, gender violence, sexual violence, child labor, trafficking and social problem such as child labor and trafficking.
“Due to illiteracy, weak economic conditions and lack of knowledge about the problems that may arise from child marriage, children in rural areas are forced to marry before they become mature,” Minister Sudi said, “We have come up with the strategy to especially put an end to child marriage in a practical way.”
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While the decision on marriage is a natural right of every person, the marriage of a person under the age of 20 is considered child marriage in Nepal taking into account children's education, reproductive health and children's rights.
The Constitution of Nepal is against child marriage while the government has implemented various laws to end such practice including the National Child Policy, 2080 BS, Criminal Code, 2074 BS, Act on Children, 2075 BS, and Regulations on Children, 2078, Local Government Operation Act, 2074 BS, Strategy against Child Marriage, 2072 BS.
In order to ensure the rights of children, the government has committed to implement the Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989, and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women 1979.
Nepal has ratified documents related to human rights and children's rights, including the Sustainable Development Goals (2016-2030). As much as 33.84 percent of Nepal’s population are aged below 18 years. According to the Nepal Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, 2019, 5.2 percent of married people are under 15 and 22.7 percent are under 18 years of age.
Ram Bahadur Chand, Spokesman for the National Child Rights Council, said poverty, negligence of child rights, lack of priority for children, lack of coordination, support, facilitation and cooperation, plans and programs in accordance with legal and policy arrangements are the main factors contributing to child marriage.
