Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) organised a state consultation in collaboration with department of school education towards child marriage-free Madhya Pradesh.
The consultation engaged and involved multiple stakeholders to intensify the fight against child marriage. The aim was to mobilise all stakeholders of child protection to move together and help in the realisation of child marriage-free Madhya Pradesh under the larger vision of child marriage-free India.
This consultation is a result of clarion call given by Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi last year to end child marriage. It is the world’s largest grassroots movement against child marriage led by 76,000 women.
Navnit Kumar Godha, retired district judge-registrar was chief guest. All the stakeholders deliberated through the consultation and created a roadmap to make Madhya Pradesh child marriage free.
According to the Census 2011 report, 51,57,863 girls in India and around 8.92 lakh children in Madhya Pradesh were married off before turning 18. This is a cause of grave concern and requires immediate action to protect young girls from the evil of child marriage.
The National Family Health Survey-V (NFHS 2019-21) reports that nationally 23.3% of women between the age group of 20-24 were married off before attaining the age of 18. While Madhya Pradesh reported 23.1% of women in the same age group were married before the age of 18.
