Tikapur municipality’s ‘Our Daughter, My dear daughter’ program shows impact in reducing child marriage

Kailali: The ‘Our Daughter, My Dear Daughter’ program implemented by Tikapur Municipality in Kailali is showing positive results in curbing child marriage.

The program, launched in the fiscal year 2076/77, aims to ensure that no girl is married before the age of twenty. Since its inception, 1,481 girls have joined the initiative. Under the program, the municipality opens bank accounts in the girls’ names and deposits money annually, which can be accessed only after they reach 20 years of age.

The municipality deposits Rs. 1,000 each year into accounts opened for girls born after the fiscal year 2076/77, based on their birth certificates. Baliram Chaudhary, ward chairman of Tikapur-6, said, “Nowadays, after the birth of a daughter, parents eagerly come to seek recommendations to open an account for their daughter. We are confident that the program will help significantly reduce child marriage in the coming years.”