Dhankuta: School girls in Namje in the district have joined hands to discourage the practice of child marriage in their village. A drive against child marriage, which is currently led by four +2 level students—Indra Kumari Magar, Bal Kumari Rai, Ganga Limbu and Ganga Acharya—of local Gramin Janata Higher Secondary School, has been spreading awareness against child marriage for the past five years through ‘Yuwa Sathi Samuha’.

The girls have also set criteria that allow only those couples, who have passed SLC, to get married. “Married couples in classroom may influence other friends negatively. Sex education and awareness against child marriage are a must for all children,” Indra Kumari, 16, said. Acharya said they were encouraging married couple not to quit studies midway and spreading awareness among students about getting married only after they are above 20.The campaign has paid off as incidents of child marriage, according to the school, have dropped to one this year from at least five during every academic season in the previous years.

Tanka Bahadur Bhujel, headmaster of the school, child marriage has decreased significantly because of the campaign initiated with the help of schoolteachers and parents. “The move has helped control child marriage through the criteria of minimum age and qualification of those people who are going to get married,” he said.

source: The Kathmandu Post,18 Oct 2012