Rajasthan has a high incidence of child marriage, with over 1,27,000 girls getting married each year before the age of 18 due to deep-rooted social norms, poverty, and gender inequality contributing to the persistence of this harmful practice. While Rajasthan has demonstrated considerable improvement in the past decade, with a 10% decline in girl-child marriages from 35.4% in 2015-16 to 25.4% in 2020-21 (NFHS), there is a need to accelerate the progress. The Directorate for Child Rights, Rajasthan, has initiated the Bal Vivah Mukt Rajasthan Mission – a statewide initiative to eliminate child marriage in the State aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 and India’s Bal Vivah Mukt Abhiyan.
We are supporting the Directorate, through a Technical Assistance Unit, to design a state strategy and a multi-sectoral action plan to accelerate change by strengthening implementation systems, supporting awareness campaigns, enhancing interdepartmental coordination, and enabling data-driven planning and response.
Strategic Interventions:
- Institute the Bal Vivah Mukt Rajasthan Mission
Develop a comprehensive roadmap with operational strategies, implementation pathways, and financial architecture for long-term impact. - Launch a Statewide Campaign
Roll out a dynamic awareness and action calendar for community and public mobilisation rooted in local language and culture, spotlight role models, and leverage social media and news. - Build Capacity at Every Level
Train state, district, and frontline workers, especially child marriage protection officers, on legal frameworks, early warning signs, and referral systems. - Leverage Digital Tools
Create a Bal Vivah Mukt Rajasthan Portal-cum-Dashboard to house real-time data, campaign materials, and a repository of best practices.
