Sierra Leone-led resolution adopted by General Assembly; date coincides with launch of India’s Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat campaign
New Delhi: The United Nations General Assembly has designated November 27 as the International Day for the Elimination of Child, Early and Forced Marriage, creating an annual global observance aimed at strengthening efforts to end the practice.
The General Assembly adopted draft resolution A/80/L.99, introduced by Sierra Leone, proposing that November 27 every year be observed as the international day.
The date also has significance for India. The Government of India launched its Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat campaign on November 27, 2024, as part of efforts to prevent child marriage and strengthen protection for girls.
Introducing the resolution before the General Assembly, Sierra Leone’s First Lady Dr Fatima Maada Bio said the proposed international day would provide an annual platform to renew political commitment, strengthen advocacy, raise awareness, promote accountability and accelerate action against child, early and forced marriage.
The adoption gives the campaign against child marriage a dedicated place on the UN’s calendar of international observances.
Just Rights for Children (JRC), an India-based child protection network, said its founder Bhuwan Ribhu had advocated the creation of a dedicated international day against child marriage and had raised the proposal at international forums.
Ribhu welcomed the UN decision, describing it as an important moment for efforts to eliminate child marriage and calling for governments to accelerate action towards the global target of ending the practice by 2030.
He also credited Sierra Leone and its First Lady for building international support for the initiative.
“Now is the time for governments globally to provide decisive leadership to end child marriage by 2030 and ensure education, protection and development of every child,” Ribhu said.
Dr Bio, welcoming the adoption, said the resolution represented more than a symbolic declaration and should become a basis for concrete action.
“Today, the world has spoken with one voice: child, early and forced marriage has no place in our societies,” she said, adding that girls must be able to learn, develop and determine their futures without being subjected to forced marriage.
Child marriage remains a major challenge in India despite a decline over successive years.
According to the National Family Health Survey-5 conducted during 2019-21, 23.3% of women aged 20-24 in India reported having been married before the age of 18.
The campaign against child marriage is also linked to Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality. Target 5.3 calls for the elimination of harmful practices, including child, early and forced marriage, by 2030.
JRC said its campaign has sought to bring together governments, law-enforcement agencies, schools, panchayats, community organisations, women, faith leaders and other stakeholders to prevent child marriages.
The organisation also said its international advocacy grew out of campaigns undertaken in India and subsequently in other countries. These claims regarding the scale and reach of JRC’s interventions are based on information provided by the organisation.
The UN declaration now provides governments and civil society organisations with an annual international platform to assess progress and renew commitments towards eliminating child, early and forced marriage by 2030.
