The pandemic sparked a boom in child marriages, and our teams around the world are hard at work addressing this challenge. In India, we recently completed a research study with recommendations to end child marriage in Tamil Nadu, a state in southern India.
Our report, “Policy Recommendations to End Child Marriage in Tamil Nadu”, shares our findings, including why it’s so important to make change happen.
Results show 31 percent of girls married between the ages of 12 and 18 had already delivered their first child. Yet, the report confirmed there are many reasons for these unions. Some are love marriages. Child marriage is also common among low-income families and for those who don’t have access to government assistance. Others face pressure from the community and religious leaders.
Challenges abound, but based on the findings of our study, we have recommendations for positive change…
- map high incidence areas
- prepare a step-by-step standard operating procedure, including who would be involved in helping prevent a child marriage
- involve the community in supporting change
- share information about how the government helps
- work with the government to propose revisions to social protection
- encourage girls to continue their education in secondary school
The good news is our report shows survey participants are concerned and interested in ending child marriage.
In the communities where we work around the world, such as Tamil Nadu, we’re already working with parents, youth and children to create positive change. We’ve been doing this by supporting faith leaders, police and government to uphold existing laws protecting girls from child marriages; challenging social norms; building knowledge and skills of girls so they can protect themselves and others; and empowering community leaders to lead positive change.
Read our full report: “Policy Recommendations to End Child Marriage in Tamil Nadu.”
And, find out how you can help girls in India learn their rights and end child marriage in their communities today.