As per the report child marriages in Andhra Pradesh have decreased from 33% (NFHS-4) to 29.3% (NFHS-5) and from 35.4% (NFHS-4) to 25.4% (NFHS-5) in Rajasthan.
- The report highlights achievements and lessons from various states, noting that collective and multi-sectoral efforts at the national level have advanced progress toward SDG 5 on gender equality.
Learning from States: Case Studies and Benefits
- Andhra Pradesh and Telangana: UNICEF’s evidence-based advocacy utilizing NFHS-5 data led to the Women Development and Child Welfare (WDCW) Department initiating intensive child marriage reduction programs in high-burden districts.
- Assam: A model was pioneered engaging boys and men in influencing behaviors and attitudes toward sustained gender equality.
- Chhattisgarh (Jashpur): The volunteer-based campaign "Jay-HO" demonstrated multisectoral convergence
- Odisha: Successful scaling up of "Child Marriage Free Village" initiative, with 12,407 villages having declared themselves child marriage-free as of January 2022.
Initiative taken in India to end Child Marriage
- Enactment of 'Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA), 2006: It prohibits marriage of girls under 18 and boys under 21.
- National Action Plan to Prevent Child Marriage: It is a comprehensive framework which aims at providing support to girls who are at risk of early marriage.
- Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat Campaign: Advocate for legislative changes that establish 18 as the minimum age of marriage without exceptions, ensuring legal protections for children.
At the global level, the UNFPA-UNICEF Global Programme to End Child Marriage (GPECM), launched in March 2016, promotes the rights of adolescent girls and works to avert child, early, and forced marriage.
