Sudurpashchim Did Not Assess the Effectiveness of Programs Against Child Marriage — Kathmandu Post
In Nepal’s Sudurpashchim Province, 12.87008 million Nepalese rupees were spent on child marriage prevention programs over five fiscal years, but the authorities did not create a mechanism to assess their effectiveness. A total of 14.1225 million rupees was allocated for these measures, Kathmandu Post reports.
The province’s Ministry of Social Development organized awareness campaigns, classes for parents, training in schools, meetings with religious leaders, and work with local child rights protection committees. During this period, 9,147 children and parents took part in the programs.
There Is No Assessment of Results
Ministry information officer Jaidev Mahar said that the agency runs programs but cannot measure their impact. Ministry employee Bindu Kumari Chataut said that the campaign was launched without a baseline study, defined goals, or progress indicators.
According to the ministry, 19 child marriages were prevented in Bajura as part of the campaign. Chataut also noted that the budget for such measures is limited and often allows for only one event to be held in one municipality. Starting from the next fiscal year, the ministry plans to involve local authorities more actively.
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Scale of the Problem
Nepalese law prohibits marriage before the age of 20. Under Article 173 of the National Criminal Code of 2017, child marriage is a criminal offense, is considered invalid, and may be punishable by up to three years in prison and a fine of up to 30,000 rupees.
Despite this, the 2021 population census showed that the share of child marriages in Sudurpashchim was 29.1%. The highest rate was recorded in Bajhang, at 34.1%, followed by Darchula with 33.4% and Dadeldhura with 29.7%.
Provincial police registered only 36 cases of child marriage during the 2020–2021 to 2025–2026 fiscal years. Police spokesperson Padam Bahadur Bista said that only a small share of such cases reaches law enforcement, as many remain within families and communities.
