Indian activists' global body calls for increased efforts to combat child marriage, abuse & violence

New York, Sep 26 (PTI) Showcasing India's success in reducing child marriages with a strong law enforcement, a global civil society network founded by an Indian rights activist has called on world leaders to increase efforts at combating children-related issues, including their early marriages.

“By coming together as a global community, we can help ensure that child marriage and abuse are fully prosecuted and prevented, not only by legal systems but by society as a whole,” said Bhuwan Ribhu, founder of Just Rights for Children, the global civil society network using rule of law to end sexual crimes against children.

The Just Rights for Children (JRC) convened global leaders on the margins of the high-level 80th session of the UN General Assembly for a high-level side event here Thursday to showcase best practices focussing on survivor voices, and reinforced international commitment to eliminate child, early, and forced marriage by 2030.

Just Rights for Children also launched its landmark report, 'Tipping Point to Zero: Evidence Towards a Child Marriage Free India' which revealed a historic decline from 2022-23 to 2024-25 in child marriage — 69 per cent among girls and 72 per cent among boys — driven by strong law enforcement, grassroots awareness, and community participation.

Showcasing India’s success as a blueprint for the world, the findings of the report position the country “at the brink of ending child marriage by 2030 and reinforce the global momentum to achieve a child marriage–free generation.” The event by JRC, one of India’s largest child protection network with over 250 NGOs, also included the global launch of the 'Child Free Marriage Campaign' to create the largest global civil society network to end child marriage, a statement said.

JRC honoured Dr Fatima Maada Bio with the first ‘Champions of Change Award’ for her leadership and efforts to end child marriage in Sierra Leone and to honour her work that brought in the landmark Prohibition of Child Marriage Act of 2024 that bans marriage for anyone under 18.

Maada Bio, the First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone and President of Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD), said the award belongs to every community leader, teacher, young activist, parent who have dared to believe that girls deserve better. “It belongs to all of us who believe that every child deserves a childhood free from fear, from abuse, and full of possibilities.” United Nations Special Representative to the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children Najat Maalla M’jid pointed out how child marriage remains a global problem despite stringent laws.

“Addressing child marriage requires an approach that addresses the complex and interlinked factors including poverty, lack of women economic empowerment climate conflicts, and humanitarian crisis that increase child marriage rates in times of insecurity,” she said.

The gathering at the event was aimed at strengthening enforcement and international cooperation towards the realisation of Sustainable Development Goal 5.3 that aims to eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are to be realised by 2030.

From April 2023 to September 2025, JRC’s network partners have prevented or stopped over 3,90,000 child marriages across India through intervention, legal action, and community mobilisation, and rescued more than 1,05,000 children from trafficking and forced labour, the statement added. PTI YAS NPK NPK