Child marriage

Presented by
Saroj Baral
MPH 2023 batch
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Introduction
According to marriage registration act, Child marriage
refers to any formal marriage or informal union
between a child under the age of 20 and an adult or
another child.
According to plan international 12 million girls marry
before the age of 18 each year – almost one every 2
seconds. If we don’t act now, more than 150 million
girls will become child brides by 2030.

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 Introduction contd….

The Eleventh Amendment to the Muluki Ain sets the

legal age of marriage as 20 years for both men and
women in 2002 .

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Causes of child marriage
Inequalities between boys and girls driven by harmful
social and gender norms
Laws protecting girls aren’t enforced
Parents think marriage will protect girls from violence,
particularly in times of crisis or insecurity
Younger wives are considered to be more obedient
Poverty
Dowry
 social and cultural pressure

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Global distribution of child marriage before
age 18
child marriage in percentage

eastern europe and cen-

9 2 tral asia
6 3
others regions
south asia
15
sub-saharan africa
east asia and the pacific
45 latin america and car-
ibbean
middle east and north
africa
20

Source UNICEF 2023

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Age at first marriage in between countries

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National scenario
Nepal has the third-highest prevalence of child
marriage, with 41 per cent of women aged 20 to 24
married before they turn 18. Nepal also ranks in the
top 10 countries for the prevalence of child marriage
among boys. Source UNFA
The median age at first marriage among women and men
age 25–49 increases with increasing education. Women
with a secondary education marry 3.6 years later than
women with no education (20.5 years versus 16.9 years.
(NDHS 2022)
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 National Scenario contd…

33% of Nepalese girls are married before their 18th

birthday and 8% are married before the age of 15.

The highest rates of child marriage for women and

girls between the ages of 20 – 24 who were first
married before age 18 are found in Province 2 (53%),
Karnali Province (48%), Sudoorpashchim Province
(45%), Gandaki Province (41%) and Lumbini Province
(40%).

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 National Scenario contd…

Women and men living in rural areas aged 20-49 are

more likely to be married before the age of 18
(17% and 43% respectively) than women and men
within the same age range living in urban areas
(12% and 37%).

A 2017 World Bank/ICRW study estimates that ending

child marriage in Nepal could see a 12.7% rise in
earnings and productivity for Nepali women who
married early.

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AGE AT FIRST MARRIAGE
25

20 19.1 19.2

17 16.9 16.5

15

10

0
Brahmin/ chetri Dalit Janajati Madhesi Muslim

women aged 25-49 men aged 25-49

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Legal provision for child marriage
Marriage Registration Act, 2028 (1971) with Amending
some Nepal Acts relating to maintain Gender Equality
Act, 2063 2063.7.17 (Nov. 3, 2006)

According to sustainable development goal 5 it

explains to eliminate forced marriage and genital
mutilation which says for Elimination of all harmful
practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and
female genital mutilation.
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Gaps and Loopholes in Nepal’s
Laws on Child Marriage

Voidable Status: Nepal's laws on child marriage

consider it 'voidable' rather than immediately 'void,'
allowing marriages to be declared invalid only after
one or both parties reach the age of 20. This delay can
contribute to prolonged child marriages.

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 Gaps and Loopholes in Nepal’sLaws on Child Marriage contd..

Age Restriction for Legal Action: Girls married

before the age of 20 lack legal recourse to end the
marriage until they reach this age. This creates a gap
where underage girls may face challenges in escaping
child marriages due to legal constraints.

Property Rights and Annulment: Filing for divorce at

the age of 20 allows women to retain property rights.
However, if the marriage is annulled and declared void,
these property rights are forfeited. This legal distinction
may have unintended consequences.
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 Gaps and Loopholes in Nepal’sLaws on Child Marriage contd..

Cultural and Social Pressures: Cultural and social

expectations around fertility after marriage can trap
girls in child marriages. The emphasis on proving
fertility conflicts with the legal requirement of having
no children to void the marriage.

Incomplete Birth Registration for Child Brides:

Child brides may face difficulties in having their births
properly registered, particularly if they were married at
a young age less than 20.

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15
consequences of child marriage
Early pregnancy
Girls married early are more likely to experience
violence, abuse and forced sexual relations due to
unequal power relations
 More vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections
(including HIV)
Expand the cycle of poverty.
Increased malnutrition among children
Increased maternal and infant mortality

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Organization working to end child marriage
in nepal
UNICEF
Plan International : working in Nepal since 1978 helping
marginalised children, their families and communities to
Reducing violence against girls and women and tackling
discriminatory attitudes and practices to make
communities free of child marriage, child trafficking and
child labour.
 Sakcham Rural Nepal, Loo Niva Child Concern Group
and Janaki Women Awareness Society
 Kapilvastu Integrated Development Services (KIDS)
Human rights
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Ending child marriage
LEGISLATION: Develop and implement national laws that
protect girls from harmful practices
ENGAGEMENT: Engage families, communities and leaders to
protect girls from harmful practices
ADOLESCENTS: Empower adolescent girls at risk of child
marriage, or already married, to express their views and
exercise their choices
DATA: Generate and use robust data and evidence to inform
programmes and policies relating to adolescent girls and
harmful practices
SERVICES: Strengthen the availability, accessibility, quality
and responsiveness of services for adolescent girls
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Girl Trafficking

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Introduction
Girl trafficking is the practice of illegally procuring,
recruitment, transportation, transfer and or receipt, kidnapping
a girl for the purpose of forced labor, sexual exploitation.

Women and girls are usually trafficked for the purpose of sexual
and economic exploitation, particularly prostitution and
pornography, forced labour, including for work in commercial
agriculture and domestic work, arranged marriages or to be
‘sold’ as brides, recruitment for participation in hostilities and
such related purposes as sexual services, portage and domestic
functions in conflict situations.

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Causes
Poverty
Lack of access to education
Temporary or permanent displacement caused by
disaster
Lack of legal protections for undocumented
immigrants.
Discrimination
Orphanhood
Lack of rights of children and girls

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Types of Trafficking
1. Sex trafficking
Sex trafficking is when someone uses coercion, force,
or fraud to cause a commercial sex act with an adult or
causes a minor to commit a commercial sex act

Sex trafficking is particularly rampant within Nepal

and to india , with as many as 5,000-10,000 women
and girls trafficked to India alone each year.

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 Sex trafficking contd..

Those who have been trafficked for sex work are more
likely to be older, illiterate, and have fewer family
members with earning power.
Some reasons for being trafficked for sex work may
include poverty and being old enough. Younger female
children, on the other hand, tend to also be exploited
for non-sex work including domestic and manual
labour, and circus work

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 2. Forced labor

Forced labour, or unfree labour, is any work relation,

especially in modern or early modern history, in which
people are employed against their will with the threat
of destitution, detention, violence including death or
other forms of extreme hardship to either themselves or
members of their families

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3. Organ Trafficking
In some instances, girls may be trafficked for the illegal
trade of organs, where they are subjected to organ
removal for transplantation without their consent.

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4. Forced Begging
Traffickers may force girls into begging as a form of
exploitation, using their proceeds for the trafficker's
benefit.

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5. Child Soldiers:
In conflict zones, girls may be trafficked for use as child
soldiers, forced to participate in armed conflicts against
their will.

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6. Surrogacy Exploitation
In some cases, girls may be trafficked for the purpose of
surrogacy without their consent, where they are forced
to carry a child for someone else against their will.

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7. Trafficking for Rituals or
Religious Exploitation
Girls may be trafficked for rituals or religious
practices, where they are subjected to abuse or
exploitation in the name of religious or cultural
beliefs.

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Global scenario
There are an estimated 21 million to 45 million
people trapped in some form of slavery today. It’s
sometimes called “Modern-Day Slavery” and
sometimes “Human Trafficking." At all times it is
slavery at its core.

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Recent trends among identified victims
of trafficking

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National scenario
A report published by Nepal’s Human Rights
Commission estimates that around 35,000 people have
been trafficked from Nepal in 2018. Among them
15,000 women and 5,000 girls were victims of this
crime.

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Law Related to Human Trafficking in
Nepal – Legal Provisions
Human Trafficking and Transportation Act, 2063
ILO Protocol to the Forced Labour Convention
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
SDG 8 includes Target 8.7, which says that nations
should “take immediate and effective measures to
eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and
human trafficking and secure the prohibition and
elimination of the worst forms of child labour,
including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by
2025 end child labour in all its forms.
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Major contributors to end girl Tafficking in
Nepal
1. Maiti Nepal
Maiti Nepal was born out of the conscious efforts
of teachers, journalists, and social workers who
banded together to fight social evils inflicted upon
women. Spearheaded by the founder, Anuradha
Koirala, the organization began in 1993. The
primary focus of the organization is preventing
trafficking for forced prostitution, rescuing
survivors of the flesh trade, and rehabilitating
rescued women.
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Alongside, Maiti Nepal also actively works
to provide justice for victimized girls and
women through criminal investigation and
conducts legal cases against offenders. For
close to three decades, the organization has
drastically highlighted the issue of
trafficking with strong advocacy from local,
national, and international levels.

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2. STOP GIRL TRAFFICKING PROJECT
USAID’s Stop Girl Trafficking project is a $1.5 million,
three year project that works closely with girls and
women, family guardians and civil society to address
girl trafficking through education, awareness,
community engagement, and counselling.

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Health Issues seen in traffiking girl
Sexually transmitted children (STI), HIV/AIDS, rectal
trauma
Pregnancy resulting from rape or prostitution
Malnutrition resulting in retarded growth and development
Opthalmic and dental problems
Infectious diseases
Addiction to drug users
Feeling of helpelessness, shame, humiliation, and shock
Cultural shock from finding themselves in a strange place.

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Prevention
1. Education and Awareness:

School Programs

Community Workshops

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 Prevention contd..
2. Economic Empowerment:
Skill Development Programs

Microfinance Initiatives

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 Prevention contd..
3. Community Mobilization:
Community Watch Groups

Local Leadership Involvement

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 Prevention contd..
4. Legal Reforms and Enforcement:
Strengthen Legislation

Law Enforcement Training

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 Prevention contd..
5. Safe Migration Practices:

Awareness Campaigns:

Pre-Departure Orientation

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 Prevention contd..
6. Psychosocial Support:
Counseling Services

Community Centers

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 Prevention contd..
7. Border Surveillance and Control:
Border Checkpoints

Cross-Border Collaboration:

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 Prevention contd..
8. Partnerships: Collaborate with international
organizations, NGOs, and neighboring countries to
share best practices, resources, and information on
trafficking prevention.

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Close your eyes and think from your heart.
Take every child as your daughter and you will soon
feel the sorrow of girl traffiking. Maiti nepal

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Thankyou

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