Assam Pioneered Child Marriage Crackdowns. UN Decision Adds A Silver Lining
· India · NDTV, Times of India
The United Nations General Assembly has designated November 27 as the International Day for the Elimination of Child, Early, and Forced Marriage following a resolution adopted on September 4. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has welcomed the global recognition, describing it as validation of the state's sustained enforcement and social measures. Assam has registered 12,196 child marriage cases and made over 11,000 arrests over the past five years through large-scale police crackdowns. A separate study covering 1,132 villages across 20 districts reported an 81 percent decline in reported child marriages in Assam, with cases falling from 3,225 in 2021-22 to 627 in 2023-24. The international move also serves as a global endorsement for the Just Rights for Children campaign and NDTV's Child Marriage Free India campaign, which has been active since 2023.
Why it matters
The UN designation provides global momentum and a dedicated international observance to strengthen awareness and action against child, early, and forced marriage.
Read the original report — NDTV
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