Tamankhola Rural Municipality Struggles to Reduce Child Marriage: Schools Adopt Commitment Forms

Tamankhola Rural Municipality Struggles to Reduce Child Marriage: Schools Adopt Commitment Forms

Tamankhola Rural Municipality, located in the remote Baglung district, has been grappling with the issue of increasing child marriages. Despite conducting campaigns to reduce the number of child marriages in the area, the situation has returned to its old state, with more cases being reported every year. The issue is especially prevalent among students in classes 8, 9, and 10.

Schools in the area, such as Janajagriti Secondary School, Dhan Gau Jyoti Secondary School, and Shanti Secondary School, have started admitting students and parents who commit to not engage in child marriages. The Headmaster of Dhan Gau Jyati Secondary School, Ravindra Kumar Budha Magar, stated that this measure was taken to raise awareness among parents and students, and reduce the number of child marriages.

Although there has been some success in reducing child marriage in some schools, other schools such as Shanti Secondary School have reported that despite making parents and students aware of the issue, there has been no reduction. The principal of Shanti Secondary School, Satyanaran Singh, stated that the school is collaborating with the rural municipality, school management committees, and other stakeholders to reduce the incidence of child marriage. Singh also mentioned that the Dalit community, the largest community in the area, faces challenges due to weak economic conditions and old customs.

Joklal Budha Magar, the Chairman of Tamankhola Rural Municipality, said that the rural municipality will start a new campaign to end child marriage. He explained that the issue persists due to geographical hardship, illiteracy, poverty, and traditional customs. The municipality will focus on educating parents and children, especially those who do not have access to education.

Overall, the issue of child marriage continues to be a major challenge in Tamankhola Rural Municipality. The schools have taken a commendable step by introducing commitment forms to raise awareness among parents and students. However, more efforts are needed to eradicate the practice, including educating families and communities, strengthening laws and policies, and improving access to education and economic opportunities.

Published on 25th April 2023