India Co-Sponsors UNGA Resolution Declaring November 27 as International Day to End Child Marriage

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 6: India has joined around 70 countries in co-sponsoring a United Nations General Assembly resolution declaring November 27 every year as the International Day for the Elimination of Child, Early and Forced Marriage.

The 193-member UN General Assembly adopted the Sierra Leone-led resolution by consensus on Friday. The resolution establishes November 27 as a dedicated global day to raise awareness and strengthen efforts to eliminate child, early and forced marriage.

India was among the countries that supported the initiative as a co-sponsor.

The date has particular significance for India as the country’s ‘Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat’ (Child Marriage Free India) campaign was launched on November 27, 2024. The initiative aims to reduce the prevalence of child marriage by 10 per cent by 2026 and work towards making India free of the practice by 2030.

The international campaign for a dedicated day was championed by Sierra Leone’s First Lady and President of the Organization of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD), Fatima Maada Bio, along with Just Rights for Children founder Bhuwan Ribhu.

Welcoming the adoption, Ribhu said the resolution marked the beginning of a new phase focused on concrete action against child marriage.

He had reiterated the call for a UN resolution during his address at the United Nations in March 2026, in the presence of international leaders, including Maada Bio, who also backed the initiative.

Ribhu said the proposed international day would provide a global reminder of the need for accountability and coordinated action involving governments, civil society, faith leaders, schools, communities and children.

Following the resolution’s adoption, he called on governments to implement comprehensive laws, adequately funded national action plans and accountable institutions. He also stressed the importance of involving children, community leaders, religious leaders, law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders in efforts to dismantle systems that allow the practice to continue.

The UN resolution encourages member states to develop and implement comprehensive, multisectoral national strategies and action plans aimed at ending child, early and forced marriage.

It also urges countries to invest in quality education for girls, including programmes that allow married girls and young women to continue or return to education. Empowering women and girls has been identified as a key component of prevention efforts.

The General Assembly recognised child, early and forced marriage as a harmful practice that violates or undermines human rights. It noted that the practice disproportionately affects women and girls, particularly those in vulnerable circumstances, while harming their education, health, economic prospects and ability to fully exercise their rights.

Just Rights for Children described the adoption as a major milestone for the global campaign against child marriage and said it reflected growing international recognition of the practice as a serious violation of children’s rights.

The child rights network said it has helped prevent or stop more than 550,000 child marriages since 2023 as part of its efforts to combat child exploitation.

Addressing the General Assembly before the resolution was adopted, Maada Bio said child, early and forced marriage remains a major obstacle to gender equality, human rights and sustainable development.

She highlighted its impact on girls’ education, health and well-being, as well as its links to violence, exploitation and abuse. According to her, the practice also restricts economic opportunities and contributes to intergenerational poverty.

Maada Bio said that when a girl is forced into marriage, she loses not only her childhood but also choices and opportunities that could shape her future and contribute to the development of her family, community and country.

She said the support of countries joining the resolution as co-sponsors sends a strong message that the rights, dignity and future of girls must be protected.

The declaration of November 27 as the International Day for the Elimination of Child, Early and Forced Marriage is expected to provide a recurring global platform for governments and other stakeholders to strengthen prevention, protection and accountability measures against the practice.