By Keshav Raj Bhatta, Baitadi (Basuling), July 15: Despite legal provisions, public awareness campaigns and various programmes aimed at reducing child marriage, the practice remains a significant challenge in Baitadi, with limited impact seen so far.
According to data from the current fiscal year, 11 per cent of pregnant women who attended health facilities for antenatal check-ups were under the age of 20, indicating that child marriage continues to be widespread in the district.
Khagendra Karki, Information Officer at the Baitadi Health Office, said that around 3,600 pregnant women received antenatal care at health institutions across the district during the current fiscal year. Of them, 11 per cent were below the age of 20. Under the Nepali law, marriage before the age of 20 is classified as child marriage.
The figures also show a steady rise in the proportion of pregnancies among women under 20 in recent years. The rate stood at 7 per cent in the fiscal year 2023/24, increased to 9 per cent in 2024/25, and has now reached 11 per cent in the current fiscal year.
Municipality-wise data show that Sigas Rural Municipality recorded the highest proportion of pregnant women under 20 at 21 per cent. It was followed by Dogadakedar Rural Municipality with 16 per cent, Surnaya Rural Municipality with 13 per cent, Purchaudi Municipality with 12 per cent, Melauli Municipality with 11 per cent, Pancheshwar Rural Municipality with 10 per cent, Dilasaini Rural Municipality with 9 per cent, Shivanath Rural Municipality with 8 per cent, while Dasharathchand Municipality and Patan Municipality recorded 6 per cent each, according to the Health Office.
Dr. Aravinda Joshi, Chief of Baitadi District Hospital, said the increasing trend of elopement marriages in recent years has contributed to the rise in child marriage cases. He noted that child marriage forces adolescent girls into motherhood at an early age, exposing both mothers and infants to serious health risks.
Kunti Bhatta, Programme Coordinator at the Paropakar Rural Development Association, an organisation working to reduce child marriage, said that legal provisions alone are insufficient to tackle the problem. She stressed that coordinated efforts involving local communities, local governments, schools, parents and other stakeholders are essential to effectively curb child marriage. She also pointed out that weak enforcement of child marriage laws in rural areas has allowed the practice to persist.
According to Tirtha Raj Bhatta, Chief of the Baitadi Health Office, geographical remoteness, superstition, lack of legal awareness, poverty and the misuse of social media continue to drive child marriage in the district. He emphasised that ending the practice will require not only stricter enforcement of the law but also sustained community awareness campaigns and social mobilisation.
The Rising Nepal
