Table of Contents
Which country has the highest rate of child marriage?
Niger
Niger has the highest overall prevalence of child marriage in the world. However, Bangladesh has the highest rate of marriage involving girls under age 15. South Asia is home to almost half (42 per cent) of all child brides worldwide; India alone accounts for one third of the global total.
Who stopped child marriage?
It is popularly known as the Sarda Act, after its sponsor Harbilas Sharda. It came into effect six months later on 1 April 1930 and applied to all of British India. It was a result of social reform movement in India.

What is the child marriage rate in Nepal?
Highlights. Nepal has one of the highest rates of child marriage in Asia – for both girls and boys. Although the legal age of unions for both sexes is 20, more than a third of young women aged 20-24 report that they were married by the age of 18, and just over one in ten by 15.
What are the main causes of child marriage?
Gender inequality, social norms, perceived low status of girls, poverty, lack of education, safety concerns about girl children and control over sexuality are considered to be reasons for prevalence of child marriages.
Which country has no child marriage?
Norway’s minimum marriage age is 18, but exceptions can be made for children as young as 16. LONDON, May 22 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) — Norway approved a law banning all child marriage on Tuesday, with campaigners saying it would set an example to others ahead of a global 2030 deadline for eradicating the practice.

Which country has no marriage?
Marriage seems to be optional in Iceland and unwed mothers are the norm. Bill Weir explores Iceland’s ideas of family on “The Wonder List.” More than two-thirds of Icelandic babies — 67% — are born to parents who are not married. This might be a shameful distinction in many spots around the world.
Who started child marriage?
In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the British colonial administration introduced marriage age restrictions for Hindu and Muslim girls on the Indian subcontinent.
Who stopped child marriage in Nepal?
The government has taken some good steps to end child marriage in Nepal, making it illegal in 1963. Ending child marriage is a target under Sustainable Development Goals 5.3 and 16.2 and in 2016, the Nepal Government endorsed a National Strategy to End Child Marriage in Nepal by 2030.
How can we reduce child marriage in Nepal?
Strengthening national legal and policy frameworks on child marriage and marriage registration. Empowering adolescent girls. Engaging religious leaders as well as men and boys. Supporting to ongoing revision of curriculum on Comprehensive Sexuality Education.
How can we solve the problem of child marriage?
This policy brief highlights five evidence-based strategies identified by ICRW to delay or prevent child marriage: 1) Empower girls with information, skills and support networks; 2) Provide economic support and incentives to girls and their families; 3) Educate and rally parents and community members; 4) Enhance girls’ …
What country married the youngest?
Out of all of the countries in the world, Chad has the youngest average age of first marriage at 19.2 years. Two African countries, Niger and Mozambique, come in the second and the third positions with 19.4 and 19.6 years respectively.
Who opposed Sarda Act?
The rape clause was modified in 1927 by the Age of Consent Bill 1927, which rendered marriages with girls under the age of 12 illegal. The ordinance got opposed by orthodox nationalist leaders such as Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Madan Mohan Malaviya, who regarded the British intervention as an attack on Hindu culture.
Who fought against the child marriage?
Vidyasagar: The Brilliant Man Who Stood Up For The Women of 19th Century India. A Sanskrit scholar who never shied away from challenging orthodoxy, #Vidyasagar vigorously fought against child marriage, defended women’s right to education, and played a pivotal role in passing the Widow Remarriage Act.
Why should we stop child marriage?
Child marriage negatively affects the Indian economy and can lead to an intergenerational cycle of poverty. Girls and boys married as children more likely lack the skills, knowledge and job prospects needed to lift their families out of poverty and contribute to their country’s social and economic growth.
When was child marriage abolished in Nepal?
Child marriage has been illegal in Nepal since 1963 and, at 20 years old for both men and women, Nepal has one of the highest legal ages of marriage in the world.
At what age can a girl marry in Nepal?
20
As per the National Civil Code Act 2017, the minimum marriageable age for both sexes is 20.
What can be done to stop child marriage?
Solutions to End Child Marriage
- Empower girls with information, skills and support networks.
- Provide economic support and incentives to girls and their families.
- Educate and rally parents and community members.
- Enhance girls’ access to a high-quality education.
- Encourage supportive laws and policies.