Ending child marriage is a matter of national pride for Girls Not Brides Nepal

Ending child marriage is a matter of national pride.

Gauri Pradhan, Child Rights Campaign and former Commissioner of the National Human Rights Commission, Nepal

The Girls Not Brides Nepal National Partnership has been established since 2014. The Partnership includes 17 networks and brings them together for collective action to end child marriage in Nepal. To date, the National Partnership has been instrumental convening community, district, and national level consultations and providing technical support in the development of a national strategy to end child marriage.

On March 26, 2023, The Girls Not Brides Nepal National Partnership met with Girls Not Brides members, Civil Society Organisations, Development Partners, and Government Stakeholders in Kathmandu, Nepal. At this National Policy Dialogue, stakeholders came together to share experiences and best practices, discuss critical issues, and plan next steps to end child marriage in Nepal.

Looking back - what were the key 3 learnings from past successes?

1. Involving multiple stakeholders is key to success

Successful initiatives to end child marriage require involvement and collaboration from a diverse range of stakeholders. This includes government, civil society, religious and community leaders, and young people themselves. It is vital to involve stakeholders acting at community, district, and national levels for sustained change.

2. Approaches must be based on evidence

Strategies to end child marriage should be based on sound evidence and data. Approaches should also be flexible and tailored to the specific contexts and needs of different communities.

3. Advocacy and raising awareness is critical

Advocacy and awareness-raising efforts can play a critical role in building public support for ending child marriage and in promoting positive social norms. It is also critical for influencing key decision-makers to make commitments and holding decision-makers accountable to their commitments.

Looking ahead - what are the biggest barriers to ending child marriage in Nepal and how can we overcome them?

The biggest obstacle to sustained national change is a current lack of consistent funding. This means that it can be difficult for the movement to end child marriage to sustain momentum and make consistent gains. Vitally, it also makes long-term planning challenging. Ending child marriage is ultimately only possible with long-term solutions that transform gender norms and increase educational, economic, and social opportunities for all girls.

To address these challenges, Girls Not Brides Nepal will work to:

1. Increase knowledge of the current situation, challenges, and the way forward to ending child, early and forced marriage (CEFM) in Nepal.
2. Coordinate collaboration with different networks and government stakeholders for ending child, early and forced marriage.
3. Enhance the common space for all network and government stakeholders for sharing their experiences.

Ending child, early and forced marriages and unions is not just about children; it is a matter of human rights.

Gauri Pradhan, Child Rights Campaign and former Commissioner of the National Human Rights Commission, Nepal