Leading child rights activist and lawyer Bhuwan Ribhu has called on the United Nations to declare a dedicated World Day for the Elimination of Child Marriage, warning that a child marriage still occurs somewhere in the world every three seconds.
Ribhu made the appeal while speaking at an event held alongside the 70th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. He noted that although India has made notable progress in reducing child marriage in recent years, the practice continues to affect millions of children worldwide.
According to Ribhu, India has adopted a coordinated approach involving government institutions, communities, civil society and faith leaders to prevent child marriage and protect children’s rights. He stated that the prevalence of child marriage in the country has declined from about 23 per cent to below 15 per cent within less than three years.
Describing child marriage as a grave violation of children’s rights often concealed under cultural or traditional practices, Ribhu said a dedicated global day would help strengthen accountability, reinforce enforcement of laws and mobilise governments and societies to eliminate the practice.
The call received support from several international leaders and policymakers, including Fatima Maada Bio and Shradha Shrestha, who endorsed the proposal for a global day dedicated to ending child marriage.
The event was organised by Just Rights for Children in partnership with the office of Sierra Leone’s First Lady and the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development. It brought together ministers, senior UN officials, jurists, civil society leaders and survivor advocates who collectively urged UN member states to recognise an international day to eliminate child marriage and elevate the issue as a global priority.
Advocates at the event said strict legal frameworks against child marriage already exist in many countries but are unevenly enforced, allowing the practice to persist.
Just Rights for Children is country’s largest network of NGOs working with over 250 partners in 451 districts for child protection and child rights and aims to end child marriage by 2030. The network has, in coordination with government agencies, local administrations, law enforcement agencies and frontline workers, has stopped almost 500,000 child marriages in the last three years in India.