Mahottari According to the statistics of the National Census 2078, the number of girls who get married before the age of 20 in Madhesh is more than 50 percent.
According to the details mentioned in the national census, there are 27.7 percent who get married within 15 to 17 years. Similarly, this number is 37.2 percent, including 9.3 percent who get married between the ages of 10 and 14 and 0.2 percent who get married under the age of 10.
39.5 percent are married between the ages of 18 and 20. Although the groom’s age is 20, the bride is found to be 17 years old. The president of Ratayuli Yuva Club, Vaidyanath Chowdhury, informed that the total number of underage marriages is expected to reach 50 percent when the number of underage marriages is half of 39.5 women.
According to the statistics of National Census 2078, the average age of marriage in Madhesh is 18 years.
Chowdhury said that apart from this aspect of child marriage, there are more teenage girls who end up in child marriage even when there is an unrequited marriage. He says that although unmatched marriages have been decreasing in the last few years, there are still a lot of people giving away daughters to older men based on their wealth.
To end this situation of child marriage, the local level of the district has been conducting a social awareness campaign in collaboration with various social organizations. Hari Prasad Mandal, Mayor of Matihani Municipality informed that the marriage system improvement project is being conducted for social awareness against child marriage in Matihani, Balwa, Manrasishawa, Jaleshwar and Loharpatti Municipalities and Pipra and Mahottari Rural Municipality.
Stating that theoretical classes, discussion and practice related to life-useful education and behavior change are being conducted in 49 schools of these seven local levels, Mayor Mandal said that positive results are being obtained from this.
In order to reduce child marriage, the local government is conducting public awareness programs among children and parents in schools, performing street plays, forming children’s clubs, training and child-friendly governance.
Matihani Municipality has been giving social respect to the parents who marry their children after reaching the age, the Guru/priest who performs the marriage ceremony and the Molvi (Islamic priest).
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