Child marriage

The Centre for Child Rights is the oldest centre of NLUO, the second oldest child rights centre at any NLU, and the only Chair Professorship on child rights amongst any university in the country.

In response to the survey’s release, advocates are pushing for enhanced government action. While Nepal has ratified international conventions like the Convention on the Rights of the Child, implementation lags. Proposed measures include strengthening school retention programmes, providing scholarships for girls from poor families, and enforcing anti-child marriage laws more rigorously.

The path to the Kalash Marriage Bill began five years ago, driven by community leaders and civil society organisations concerned about the erosion of indigenous rights.

Experts emphasise that real change requires engaging men and boys, religious and community leaders, and the private sector. Shifting attitudes among the younger generation through comprehensive sexuality education and school-based prevention programmes will be crucial.

The Nepalese government has vowed to tighten immigration enforcement and crack down on illegal brokers operating within its borders. Authorities are also appealing to community leaders and families to remain vigilant and report suspicious operations that may prey on vulnerable individuals.

Violence against children emerged as another pressing issue. The committee raised alarms over sexual violence, particularly against boys, gender-based violence, corporal punishment, and online abuse.

Terming forced religious conversion and forced marriage of Christian and Hindu minor girls to older Muslim men as the most concerning issue, the report notes that there are few legal options available to the victims.