A.P. NGO welcomes UN’s declaration of November 27 as Global Day Against Child Marriage

The United Nations has declared November 27 as the Global Day Against Child Marriages, a move that the NGO Just Rights for Children (JRC) sees as a significant step in the fight against the practice. B. Keerthy, president of Vijayawada-based Vasavya Mahila Mandali (VMM), praised the international recognition, noting that JRC has been working in partnership with governments and enforcement agencies to prevent child marriages throughout the country.

VMM has been actively engaged in grassroots campaigns in NTR and Krishna districts, where Keerthy hailed the UN's historic declaration as a matter of pride for India, where the government launched the Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat (Child Marriage-Free India) campaign in collaboration with JRC partners on the same date in 2024.

Keerthy stressed that the UN declaration must translate into action on the ground, as the fight against child marriage will not be complete until no child is at risk. Her organization has undertaken various initiatives, including awareness programs in schools, panchayats, and villages, encouraging communities to take anti-child marriage pledges, and connecting vulnerable families with government welfare schemes.

Through legal intervention, VMM has prevented 2,175 child marriages in NTR and Krishna districts. Founder of JRC, Bhuvan Ribhu, had launched the international campaign for a dedicated global day to end child marriage, with support from Sierra Leone's First Lady, Dr. Fatima Maada Bio, who presented the idea to the UN General Assembly.

Around 67 countries, including India, supported the resolution, which was adopted on September 4. JRC's Andhra Pradesh State coordinator, B. Chandrasekhar, highlighted that the organization collaborates with partner organizations, mobilizing communities, schools, panchayats, women, police, religious leaders, and political representatives across 782 districts in India, contributing to the prevention of over 5.5 lakh child marriages.