Child rights activists and experts warn that lowering Nepal’s legal marriage age from 20 to 18 could reverse hard-won gains against child marriage, harming girls’ education, health, and future prospects.

Nepal’s child rights advocates voiced strong opposition to the Nepali government’s reported plans to reduce the legal marriage age from 20 to 18 years. Organizations like Children as Zone of Peace (CZOP) argue that the move, potentially enacted via ordinance, would undermine child protection efforts and have severe long-term consequences for education, health, and national development.

Tilottama Poudel, president of CZOP – a non-governmental organization dedicated to children’s rights since 2001 – highlighted the lack of formal public discussion. “No one has formally discussed the issue at any event or programme, but we have received reports that the government is considering reducing the legal age of marriage,” Poudel stated. The group views the proposal as fundamentally at odds with child rights principles.

Health, Education, and Development at Risk

Tarak Dhital, former Executive Director of the National Council for Child Rights, presented data underscoring the dangers. He said that studies show that lowering the marriage age negatively affects educational attainment, mental health, economic opportunities, social integration, and reproductive health – pregnancy under age 20 carries a 50 per cent higher risk of stillbirth or neonatal mortality compared to ages 20-29, according to the World Health Organization, he said.

Dhital noted that early marriage disproportionately impacts low-income and marginalized communities, potentially perpetuating cycles of poverty rather than alleviating them. He cited successful examples from countries like China, South Korea, and India, where the legal marriage age is 20 or higher. A comprehensive Nepal-specific study is essential before any changes, he emphasized.

Data from the Nepal Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) indicates progress: the marriage rate among women aged 15-19 has declined since the age was raised to 20 in the 2017 Civil Code amendment. This change aimed to prioritize adolescent welfare, reduce risks to children born from early unions, and mitigate broader societal harms.

Constitutional and Legal Protections Under Threat

Nepal’s Constitution (Article 39) explicitly protects children from forced marriage, while Section 173 of the Criminal Code 2074 BS criminalizes marriage before age 20. Activists fear that diluting these provisions could weaken enforcement and send a conflicting message amid ongoing campaigns for child-friendly communities, nutrition, and labour-free environments.

The proposal has roots in earlier discussions. In 2025, a parliamentary subcommittee recommended lowering the age, citing “ground realities” in rural areas and alignment with voting/citizenship ages. Some lawmakers argued the current limit increased unregistered unions or related legal issues, including rape cases involving consenting teenagers. The UN CEDAW committee has also recommended setting the minimum at 18.

However, opponents counter that such changes ignore evidence of declining child marriage trends and could reverse Nepal’s commitments under the Sustainable Development Goals to end child marriage by 2030. Nepal still faces significant prevalence – around 35-37 per cent of girls marry before 18 nationally, with higher rates in rural and disadvantaged areas – making protective laws vital.

Broader Context and Calls for Evidence-Based Policy

The debate occurs against a backdrop of Nepal’s efforts to combat child marriage through national strategies, community mobilization, and education. Advocates stress that early marriage correlates with higher school dropout rates, limited economic independence, increased domestic violence risks, and hindered personal development. Girls married young often face interrupted schooling, early pregnancies with health complications, and reduced decision-making power.

Critics of the proposal argue it may prioritize easing legal complexities for existing practices over long-term societal progress. They call for strengthened enforcement of current laws, expanded access to education (especially for girls), economic opportunities, and awareness programmes rather than lowering standards. Comprehensive research on local impacts, including links to education, earnings, and HDI, should guide any reforms, they say.

As discussions continue, civil society urges the government to engage stakeholders transparently. Maintaining or reinforcing the 20-year threshold is seen by many as crucial for empowering the next generation, particularly in a country where cultural norms in some regions still favour early unions.