Rama Krishna Sangem
To end child marriages in India by 2030, approximately 200 NGO partners of the ‘Child Marriage Free India’ (CMFI) campaign, from around the country came together in New Delhi to craft a roadmap for 2024-25. Spandana Cultural Organisation for Progressive Education (SCOPE) working in Sangareddy, a key ally of the CMFI, was also part of the four-day national workshop.
The SCOPE is back with new ideas and is enthused to implement them in the districts which will eventually make the state child marriage free by 2030, said press release from SCOPE.
The ‘Child Marriage Free India’ campaign which is a Nationwide campaign started in 2022 and has significantly expanded in terms of reach, impact, and partner network. From 161 NGO partners working in almost 300 districts in 17 states last year, the campaign is now reaching out to 22 states. This campaign is also working against child trafficking, and child sexual abuse, besides its focus on child marriage. Many of these districts have also been identified as districts with a high prevalence of child marriages.
Road Map 2024-25
Talking about the takeaways of the National workshop, Dr.Bandi Sayanna, Chairman,Spandana Cultural Organisation for Progressive Education (SCOPE) said, “It is a matter of immense pride for us that so many child protection organisations, like ours, have been working towards a common goal of ending child marriage. While the goal remains the same, we learned new and focused ways during the workshop. With this new roadmap, we will now be able to implement these ideas at the grassroots and make significant strides in our fight against child marriage in our district and the state.
The National workshop unveiled the roadmap for 2024-25, marking a monumental legal intervention programme for child protection. The NGOs aim to work with district authorities, and Child Marriage Protection Officers to ensure legal compliance in the cases of child marriage and prevent them through persuasion, legal action, and awareness drives in these districts. The genesis of the campaign is the action plan as enumerated in child rights activist BhuwanRibhu’s bestseller ‘When Children Have Children: Tipping Point to End Child Marriage.’
The Child Marriage Free India campaign supports authorities and state governments in the fight against child marriage. Emphasizing on the urgency of this enhanced roadmap, Ravi Kant, Convenor, Child Marriage Free India campaign, said, “For a deeply rooted social issue like child marriage, a united and strategic effort of this scale is crucial. it is imperative to put up a collective and well-thought-out fight. The impact of these NGOs working at the grassroots is immense but the energy it generates as part of a collective team holds the power to bring about unimaginable changes”.
