Social media opening doors to child marriages?
On September 4, 2026, the United Nations General Assembly declared November 27 as the International Day for the Elimination of Child, Early and Forced Marriage. Child rights activists weigh in on what it takes, particularly in the online space, to counter the evil of child marriage
The District Child Welfare Committee in Chennai recently handled a case involving a 15-year-old Nepali girl who married a 28-year-old man from Chennai, whom she met on Instagram. The couple married in Chennai, and a month later, the girl was traced through a call to her sister in Nepal. Her family filed a complaint with the police, leading to the intervention of India Child Protection, a civil society organization.
Social media and online dating platforms are increasingly exposing vulnerable girls to the risk of child marriage. Bhuwan Ribhu, a child rights activist and founder of Just Rights for Children, states that advances in digital communication have altered the approach to child marriage, making more children vulnerable. Ribhu emphasizes that trafficking is a borderless crime and requires a borderless response, as online methods of enticement, grooming, sexual abuse, and trafficking can occur regardless of distance and geography.
A Save the Children study found that girls in India face a greater online risk of child marriage and trafficking during the pandemic. The National Family Health Survey (2019-21) shows that the national average for child marriage in India is 23%, with a 10% decrease in prevalence. The Central Government launched the Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat campaign in November 2024, aiming to make India child marriage-free by 2030.
Tamil Nadu, while making progress, lacks Child Marriage Prohibition Officers (CMPOs) to prevent marriages, gather evidence, raise awareness, and report data. The District Social Welfare Officer (DSWO) serves as the CMPO in Tamil Nadu. In districts like Salem, Dindigul, Namakal, and Cuddalore, which have high rates of child marriages, dedicated officials are needed to curb the practice.
Grama panchayats must be empowered in these areas, and a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for eliminating child marriages should be developed. The Supreme Court's landmark judgment on child marriages in October 2024 remains unaccompanied by an SOP in Tamil Nadu. Awareness campaigns and reporting systems, such as the ChildLine Helpline 1098, are crucial for preventing child marriage.
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