Kailash Satyarthi, the Nobel Peace Prize winner, has urged the country to take action collectively to eliminate child marriage by launching a national campaign against it from Rajasthan. The initiative was introduced on Sunday at a public gathering in the village of Navrangpura in Rajasthan’s Virat Nagar, more than two hours north of Jaipur, along with another Nobel Peace Laureate, Leymah Gbowee.
The campaign will be led by the Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation (KSCF). Around 10,000 villages from more than 500 districts in 26 states participated in the campaign, with 70,000 women and girls leading people in torchlight processions and lighting lamps (6,015 villages by KSCF and the rest by the government and other agencies).
The initiative was introduced on Sunday at a public gathering in the village of Navrangpura in Rajasthan’s Virat Nagar, more than two hours north of Jaipur, along with another Nobel Peace Laureate, Leymah Gbowee.
The largest-ever campaign to educate the public about the dangers of child marriage will be led by the Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation (KSCF), according to a release. In nearly 10,000 villages from more than 500 districts in 26 states, 70,000 women and girls led torchlight processions and the lighting of lamps as part of the launch campaign. KSCF assisted in lighting 6,015 of these villages. The national campaign was supported by a number of government organizations, including the Railway Protection Force (RPF), the Women and Child Development Department of 14 States, the State Child Protection Authorities, the State Legal Services Authorities, anganwadis, and district administration of several State Governments.
Nobel Peace Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi highlighted the situation of child marriage survivors by stating, “Child marriage is a violation of human rights and dignity, which regrettably still enjoys social acceptance. An endless litany of atrocities against children, particularly against our daughters, are propelled by this social evil. He declared his support for the government’s plan to raise girls’ marriageable ages from 18 to 21.
Child marriage is an abhorrent practice that occurs all around the world, according to Liberian Nobel Peace Laureate Leymah Gbowee. This violation of human rights must stop. This is necessary for humankind as a whole.
In order to draw attention to the suffering of child marriage survivors, Satyarthi stated: “Child marriage is a violation of human rights and dignity, which regrettably still enjoys widespread social approval. An endless litany of atrocities against children, particularly against our daughters, are propelled by this social evil. I made an appeal a few weeks ago to end child marriage in India. 70,000 female change-makers were sparked by this spark, proving that millions of women have been constrained by this pervasive repressive social norm.
“I agree with the government’s suggestion to raise girls’ marriageable ages from 18 to 21. I appeal to religious leaders to speak out and make sure that everyone who officiates weddings—even in small towns—does not continue this atrocity against children. I kindly request that no caterers, decorators, proprietors of banquet halls, musicians, or anybody else participate in this heinous crime by providing their services for these weddings. You are not alone if you want to end child marriage. I concur with you. I will do everything in my power to safeguard you as your brother. In this battle, I won’t abandon you, he declared.
The “Child Marriage Free India” campaign has three main goals: to uphold the law’s rigorous application; to increase women’s and children’s participation and secure their empowerment by providing them with free education till the age of 18, and to protect children from sexual exploitation. Child marriage is an abhorrent practice that occurs all across the world, according to Gbowee. This violation of human rights must stop. This is necessary for humankind as a whole.
The campaign was supported by a number of government organizations, according to the KSCF, including the Railway Protection Force, the Women and Child Development Department of 14 states, the state child protection authorities, the state legal services authorities, anganwadis, and district administration of several state governments. Many people from many different backgrounds, including women leaders, doctors, lawyers, educators, academicians, human rights activists, and students participated in the torchlight parade and lighted lamps all around the nation.
“Child marriage, which is still socially acceptable, violates people’s rights and dignity. For this campaign, we will collaborate with local women, governmental organizations, the railway protection force, and the women’s and children’s development offices of 14 different states. To prevent attacks against the 70,000 women, we would personally oversee their safety and security, stated Satyarthi. When the public learns of child marriages, they are urged to take action to prevent them. This includes women and girls who have survived child marriage as well as the Bal sarpanch in their communities.
