Collective commitment for 'childhood free from marriage'

Kathmandu, June 1: Artists, athletes, entrepreneurs and media professionals have collectively expressed their commitment to the 'Childhood free from marriage' campaign.

They reaffirmed their solidarity for efforts to end child marriage in the country, amidst a programme organized on Sunday by the  Women Service Institute (WSI), Nepal with support from Plan International Nepal,

Participants from various walks of life univocally pledged to use their respective platforms and professions to raise awareness and contribute to the eradication of child marriage as child marriage is recognized as a punishable criminal offense under Nepal's law.

Among those endorsing the campaign were artists Jitu Nepal, Shiva Shankar Rijal, Laxmi Nepali, Aastha Raut and Sadikshya Nepal.

The campaign also garnered support from athlete Taradevi Pun and media professionals Anita Bindu and Prakash Silwal and psychological counselor  Jamuna Sharma.

Speaking at the event, Srijana Gurung, Acting National Director of Plan International Nepal, highlighted the need for active participation of both institutions and individuals in the campaign to achieve meaningful progress. 

Likewise, Bhawana Bhatta, President of the Women Service Institute Nepal, stressed that the existing legal provision setting the minimum marriage age at 20 years should remain unchanged.

The event also featured live artwork creation, videos and creative presentations focused on promoting awareness and advocacy for ending child marriage.

The Article 39 of the Constitution of Nepal guarantees that children cannot be forced into marriage.

Furthermore, Section 173 of the National Penal (Code) Act, 2017 classifies marriage below the age of 20 as a punishable offence.

Nepal has also expressed its commitment to ending child marriage nationwide by 2030, in line with its broader child rights and development goals. (RSS)