As part of the Child Marriage Free Nepal campaign in seven provinces of Nepal, Just Rights for Children (JRC) and Backward Society Education (BASE) jointly organised awareness events in Hetauda, the capital of Bagmati Province on Friday. Stakeholders have pledged to support the ongoing national campaign to end child marriage in the country by 2030.

The events saw the participation of stakeholders, including students, teachers, elected representatives, officials, and locals supporting ‘Child Marriage Free Nepal’ campaign.

Expressing his commitment to the campaign, Chief Minister Bahadur Singh Lama after signing a pledge affirmed that the support of civil society organisations would ensure the eradication of this social crime in Bagmati Province, which has a high prevalence of child marriages.

“Bagmati Province has robust laws to prevent child marriages, but the occurrence of such incidents is a matter of concern. We are ensuring strict implementation of laws to stop child marriages in the province. We look forward to the support of the JRC Nepal and BASE in this campaign,” said Lama.

Chief Minister Lama also interacted with five child marriage survivors during the pledge-signing event, where participants promised not to aid and abet child marriage.

The day-long event saw the participation of school students with placards and posters marching through Hetauda streets.

“This campaign in Nepal is distinct from others, as it combines youth and community awareness with increased implementation of the law and practical support for families to register in social programmes,” said Chandra Bahadur Chaudhary, president of JRC Nepal.

As per the campaigners, door-to-door awareness campaigns with the participation of community members across all provinces will ensure that every citizen unites for ‘Child Marriage Free Nepal’.

The national campaign was launched by National Child Rights Council (NCRC) and JRC in Kathmandu on December 31, 2024 after a pledge signing event by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to eliminate child marriage in Nepal.