Bhopal: Social Workers Gear Up To Stop Child Marriages On Akshya Tritiya

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Community social workers (CSWs) from NGOs have chalked out a detailed plan to stop child marriages on Akshaya Tritiya, which will be celebrated on May 10. It is a festival when instances of child marriage rise in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

Social activists of around 22 MP districts took part in capacity building workshop for community social workers organised by India Child Protection Fund on Wednesday. It was supported by V For Her Foundation and Just Rights for Children.

They discussed the challenges they face in the villages while stopping child marriage. They shared their experiences and learned from each other. Law, which remains one of the most crucial aspect in this fight against child marriage, was discussed. Strategies were formulated and future courses of action was decided to ensure that no child is pushed into marriage.

From getting injunction orders from the courts to prevent child marriages, to studying the demography of each village to know the number of vulnerable children, to putting posters outside religious places giving stern message that no child marriage takes place in that place, to writing punishment for marrying children on panchayat notice boards in every village, the workshop listed out several steps to ensure that child marriage doesn’t take place this wedding season.