Press Release
oi-Oneindia Staff
Giving
a
powerful
new
momentum
to
India’s
goal
to
become
child
marriage
free
by
2030,
Just
Rights
for
Children
(JRC)
has
announced
an
intensive
drive
to
make
one
lakh
villages
child
marriage
free
within
the
next
one
year.
These
villages
fall
within
the
districts
identified
as
high-prevalence
areas
under
the
National
Family
Health
Survey
V
(2019-21)
nationally.
Out
of
these,
villages
from
14
districts
in
Karnataka
have
been
chosen
for
the
intensive
intervention.
The
announcement
coincides
with
the
first
anniversary
of
the
Government
of
India’s
‘Bal
Vivah
Mukt
Bharat’
campaign,
when
the
government
launched
a
100-day
action
plan
as
part
of
the
nationwide
campaign.
Just
Rights
for
Children
(JRC)
aims
to
make
one
lakh
villages
child
marriage-free
within
a
year,
focusing
on
high-prevalence
districts
identified
by
the
National
Family
Health
Survey
V
(2019-21),
including
14
in
Karnataka,
coinciding
with
the
‘Bal
Vivah
Mukt
Bharat’
campaign’s
first
anniversary
and
the
launch
of
a
100-day
action
plan
by
the
Government
of
India.
Child
Marriage
Just
Rights
for
Children,
a
network
of
over
250
NGO
partners
across
the
country,
works
with
7
partners
in
the
state.
In
the
last
one
year
alone,
the
network
prevented
5000
child
marriages
in
Karnataka.
Just
Rights
for
Children
is
the
largest
such
network
of
civil
society
organisations
working
for
child
protection
and
with
coordinated
efforts
of
its
partners,
the
network
has
stopped
more
than
one
lakh
child
marriages
nationwide
in
the
last
one
year.
As
per
the
NFHS
V,
prevalence
of
child
marriage
in
Karnataka
is
at
21.2
percent
which
is
lower
than
the
national
average
of
23.3
percent.
However,
huge
disparity
in
the
situation
remains
in
different
districts
within
the
state.
For
instance,
in
Bijapur,
Bagalkot,
Yadgir,
and
Belgaum,
the
prevalence
ranges
between
30
and
40
percent.
Meanwhile,
many
districts,
such
as
Gulbarga,
Gadag,
Chikkaballapura,
Koppal,
Kolar
and
Tumkur,
show
a
prevalence
higher
than
national
average
and
is
between
23
and
29.9
percent.
Extending
complete
support
to
the
government’s
campaign
and
sharing
JRC’s
roadmap
for
the
year
ahead,
Bhuwan
Ribhu,
Founder
of
Just
Rights
for
Children,
said,
“The
role
of
community
groups,
faith
leaders,
panchayats
and
citizens
is
central
to
building
a
child
marriage
free
India.
The
Government’s
Bal
Vivah
Mukt
Bharat
campaign
has
become
a
model
for
the
world.
It
also
stands
as
a
celebration
of
our
collective
work
to
end
this
crime
against
children.
Last
year,
more
than
one
lakh
child
marriages
were
stopped
or
prevented,
showing
that
when
society
comes
together,
change
is
inevitable.
Next
year,
together
we
pledge
to
make
one
lakh
villages
child
marriage
free
so
that
every
child
has
opportunities
and
a
secure
future.
We
will
make
every
possible
effort
to
completely
eliminate
child
marriage
from
the
country
over
the
next
three
years,
and
we
are
confident
that
it
is
possible.
This
momentum
matters
as
India
moves
toward
the
larger
vision
of
a
Viksit
Bharat.”
Just
Rights
for
Children
has
been
using
the
3P
model
of
Protection,
Prevention
and
Prosecution
to
stop
child
marriages
across
the
country
and
has
prevented
4,35,205
child
marriages
between
1
April
2023
and
14
November
2025.
Through
legal
interventions
and
widespread
awareness
on
child
marriage
laws
in
communities,
schools,
among
faith
leaders
and
marriage
service
providers,
the
network
has
driven
a
major
shift
in
how
child
marriage
is
perceived
and
tolerated
in
India.
To
mark
the
successful
completion
of
one
year
of
Bal
Vivah
Mukt
Bharat,
which
takes
forward
Prime
Minister
Narendra
Modi’s
vision
of
‘Vikshit
Bharat’,
the
Ministry
for
Women
and
Child
Development
has
launched
‘100
Days
Intensive
Campaign
Plan’
as
part
of
the
‘Bal
Vivah
Mukt
Bharat’
campaign.
The
100-day
action
plan
concludes
on
International
Women’s
Day
on
8th
March,
2026.
To
be
followed
at
state,
district
as
well
village
levels,
the
plan
is
divided
into
3
phases.
During
the
first
phase,
the
focus
would
be
on
awareness
generation
through
schools,
colleges
and
educational
institutes.
Religious
places
and
marriage-related
service
providers
including
temples,
mosques,
churches,
gurudwaras,
wedding
halls,
and
band
parties
would
be
in
focus
in
the
second
spell,
and
gram
panchayats
and
municipal
wards
to
strengthen
community-level
engagement
and
ownership
would
be
part
of
the
third
phase.
Responding
to
the
notification,
Karnataka
government
has
asked
all
the
field
functionaries
and
officials
of
the
Ministry
of
Health
and
Family
Welfare,
Ministry
of
Panchayati
Raj,
Ministry
of
Rural
Development,
Department
of
School
Education
and
Literacy
and
Department
of
Higher
Education
to
actively
participate
and
make
this
campaign
impactful.
