Forty percent of girls in Sudurpaschim marry before adulthood, inquiry reveals

Dhangadhi: Sudurpaschim Province’s Minister for Internal Affairs and Law, Hira Singh Sarki, has said that child marriage puts both children and parents in a difficult situation. Speaking at a provincial national inquiry program held in Dhangadhi on Thursday on the impact of child marriage on the exercise of human rights, he urged that marriage should take place only when individuals are capable and mature.

He stated that when boys who are still dependent on their parents marry young, it leads to violations of human rights. “If you get married without being capable, you cannot make a living,” Minister Sarki said. “It hinders reading, writing and other activities.” Emphasizing the need to end child marriage, he said that awareness must begin at the village and community levels. He also said that the provincial government would take strict measures to curb the practice.

During the program organized by the National Human Rights Commission, data was presented showing that 40 percent of women in the Far West Province are still married before the age of 18. Commission member Dr. Lily Thapa noted that although the national goal is to end child marriage by 2030, challenges persist in Madhesh, Karnali and Sudurpaschim Provinces.

The program also collected suggestions on ways to prevent child marriage. Member Thapa said the commission will make recommendations based on the collected inputs. Jhankar Rawal, acting head of the commission’s Dhangadhi office, said child marriage often leads to both children dropping out of school, which significantly affects their economic, social and other aspects of life.