According to UNICEF representative Allis Akunga, child marriage in Nepal is an important issue that negatively affects girls. In 20 2006, child marriage levels in the country were 5 percent. Due to the efforts of the government and other partners, including UNICEF in 2022, this data has decreased and it has reached 35 percent. However, it is still a large number of and one of every three girls is a child marriage victim.
Economic difficulties, lack of access to education, cultural criteria and gender discrimination are promoting this practice, which is having a destructive effect on young girls. Boys are also affected by this problem, though their numbers are lower than girls. One out of every 10 boys is forced to get married at an early age.
This conversation has been performed for clarity and bravity.
UN News: Even today, about 1 out of 3 people married in childhood. What are the main reasons?
UNICEF Representative: There are many challenges, there are many reasons and they are all attached, which eventually affect girls, families, their personal development, country and economy. One of these reasons: Disability – This is the presence of education, but it has its own hidden prices, which are not visible.
It is difficult for some poor areas or some families to live in marginal families, such as school fees, books and even foods like food. Therefore, there is a lot of pressure on those parents who think about spending their girls in school.
The second reason is the distance. The distance and space are extremely challenging for some rural communities living in the marginalized. For these girls, walking every morning and coming back is risky, causing many girls to stop going to school.
Then there is also cultural practice. Some of these social rules are not so helpful to go to school. It does not give importance to girls boys.
In a cultural society, a girl has to survive with a variety of burden. Girls have to do domestic work, which puts a lot of burden on them and over time they are unable to face it. These girls prefer that parents do something, including taking care of siblings rather than education.
UN News: You have mentioned many reasons for child marriage. How do you see the impact on children because of marriage at a young age?
UNICEF Representative: Its impacts are very large and they fall into the girl’s whole life. The first one is health -related effects. When girls get married early, they do not fully develop. When it comes to pregnancy, there is a whole period of time or as a pregnant mother and a question about the ability to develop healthy.
It is at risk and sometimes it ends with complications and sometimes death. It is extremely serious for young girls. Education is another thing for us to be seriously concerned, because they get married quickly, they still did not go through the learning and education cycle.
They do not have skills. He cannot spend his expenses, which disrupts their own development. But it also affects society, because then you have a population that does not reach its full capacity and will not be able to make productive contribution to the country’s economic development.
In the end, violence is also a major reason, girls who get married quickly are too small to decide and they do not know that the right key is. And, when they grow up, most of them are victims of violence. They are able to make decisions and move forward and move forward in comparison to girls who are educated and empowered.
UN News: We have understood a lot about the effects on girls. Nepal is a country where boys under 18 are married by their parents. What are the challenges of boys’ position?
UNICEF Representative: The boys can leave school and the reason we see in Nepal is the reason for the migration. Many of these young boys are going out of the country. They are moving out of the country before completing secondary education. And, those who have completed have no skills, so they are just going out of the country.
They want to get married before leaving and want to take care of their wife home.
It also affects their development. It affects the development of the country and the development of society, because when the youths are gone, who are in the society – which will create that community and village. When they are there, they will take care of the family.
Therefore, it is also a matter of serious concern for us, because UNICEF and I think many people want these youths who are leaving the country, staying here, working here, get the opportunity and contribute to the economic development of Nepal.
UN News: You presented a positive picture compared to the 2006, where this image has dropped from 65 percent to about 35 percent. What is the special effort to deal with child marriage at present?
UNICEF Representative: We are doing a lot under the leadership of the government. And we are working closely with development partners, non-governmental organizations, communities and sub-national level organizations. In this case, we have made a lot of contributions, especially when it comes to strengthening government policies.
These include the burden of child marriage, the capacity of the people present in the office is able to fight against him and to apply the resources as well as resources.
Another thing is for example, we have run a program called “Finishing Child Marriage in Nepal”, which pays a lot of focus on. It focuses on receiving social and security services.
It focuses on empowering young girls, creating financial skills and focusing on their empowerment, so that they can get employment opportunities.
It is especially considered as a converter in Nepal. It is conducted in schools to empower young girls, understand their rights, influence communities, deny child marriage and raise their voices. It is also driven out of school, even in the girls community outside the school. Here, we work closely with parents, communities.
UN News: Why is it important to invest in Nepal’s teenagers?
UNICEF Representative: There are 3 million teenagers in the country. This is a very large number. Within years, these teenagers should become adults and should work, their families and communities should maintain and contribute to the productivity of the country.
So if you prevent 30 million people from contributing to the productivity of the economy, you are stopping economic growth.
Thus, adolescent girls invest in investing in adolescence, good for the family and the country. These are their rights. This is a welfare subject, which is related to personal development and growth. In the future, educated and mothers are in better position in educating their children, maintaining them and thus getting out of poverty.