Campaign to End Child Marriage
Just Rights for Children (JRC) Alliance has been running a nationwide campaign across India, since 2022, with an aim to attain a tipping point to end child marriage by 2030. This campaign is being led by JRC and run by the CSO members of JRC, who are striving to end child marriage by initially targeting high-prevalence districts, the majority of which have rates of child marriage over the national rate of 23.3%, and gradually focusing on the other districts of the country.
What started as a grassroots effort has today become a transformative movement that is reshaping the nation’s fight against this grave injustice.
A Strategic Start with an Expansive Reach
Our campaign combined awareness, sensitisation, and legal intervention. By engaging communities through action days, pledges, and door-to-door conversations, and by providing tools to stop child marriages through legal channels, we empowered children, families, and allies to take a stand.
Reach: Campaign expanded from 265 districts across 17 states, last year, to 416 districts in 25 states and union territories, this year.
Impact: Over 250,000 child marriages prevented, with 73,501 stopped in the past year alone.
Participation: Last year, 53 government agencies joined forces, and 5 crore people pledged to stand against child marriage.
Over the years, JRC has redefined the fight against this culturally sanctioned crime, leaving an indelible mark on the map of India and transforming the narrative around child marriage.
2024: a Turning Point for our fight against child marriage
Historic Judgment
On October 18, 2024, the Supreme Court of India delivered a landmark judgment, issuing detailed directives that bolster efforts to eradicate child marriage. This judgment was the result of a petition filed by Society for Enlightenment and Voluntary Action (SEVA), a member of Just Rights for Children Alliance. The Court mandated a prevention, protection, and prosecution framework for enforcing child marriage laws, aligning with the PICKET strategy proposed by Bhuwan Ribhu, Founder of Just Rights for Children Alliance, in his book “When Children Have Children”.
Our members have already been following the 'prevention, protection, and prosecution' model prescribed by the Supreme Court recently. They raise awareness of the laws around child marriage and empower children and communities to reject child marriage, and intervene in child marriages before they have a chance to happen.
Launch of Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat
Building on these directives, the Ministry of Women and Child Development launched the Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat (Child Marriage Free Bharat) campaign on November 27, 2024. The government's decisive action, coupled with the adoption of a pledge-based prevention strategy backed by on-the-ground implementation, represents a critical tipping point in the fight against child marriage.
The Collective Vision of JRC and the Nation
The launch of Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat represents more than government initiative—it signifies the culmination of years of tireless effort by JRC and its partners. From high-prevalence states to a nationwide movement, our strategic approach laid the groundwork for change, providing a model the government has now scaled to unprecedented heights.
The circle is all but complete—our targeted and transformative efforts to combat child marriages laid the foundation for change, building the momentum that the government has now taken upon itself to scale and amplify.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Honourable Minister of Women and Child Development, Smt. Annpurna Devi, for taking this decisive step toward a Child Marriage Free Bharat. This collaboration demonstrates the power of partnerships between civil society and government to create lasting impact.
The collective work of the CSO members of Just Rights for Children and the local governments has provided the nation with a robust blueprint in the form of a PICKET strategy to end child marriage, and the government’s commitment to create child marriage free Bharat elevates this mission to new and unprecedented heights.
On 27th Nov, over 25 crore people united under a shared pledge: to make child marriage history. This monumental social mobilisation—the largest of its kind—proves that change is not only possible but inevitable.
The launch of Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat is a moment of deep emotion and pride—a validation of the pain, resilience, and tireless efforts of millions of girls, mothers, and JRC’s members on the ground. It marks a historic step toward fulfilling the dreams of India’s daughters and ensuring justice for those who have suffered.
