Opinion | Nepal needs meaningful actions to end child marriage by 2030
Summary
Child marriage remains entrenched in parts of Nepal despite recent progress, with poverty and unequal access to education continuing to drive the practice. The article urges stronger enforcement, targeted support for vulnerable families and coordinated action to meet Nepal’s goal of ending child marriage by 2030.
Key Points
- UNICEF data show progress in Nepal, with the share of girls married before age 15 falling from 10 percent to 5 percent and the median age at first marriage rising to 19.6 years in 2024-25.
- Poverty remains the strongest driver of child marriage, and girls from the poorest households are far more likely to marry early than those from the richest households.
- Child marriage remains a concern in Sudurpaschim despite repeated provincial prevention campaigns, and underreporting may be masking the scale of the problem.
- The article calls for stronger enforcement of the law, better reporting, school retention and targeted support for vulnerable families to end child marriage by 2030.
