India co-sponsors UNGA resolution declaring Nov 27 as International Day against child marriage
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has adopted by consensus a resolution proclaiming November 27 every year as the International Day for the Elimination of Child, Early and Forced Marriage. India is among the co-sponsors of the resolution, tabled by Sierra Leone and backed by around 70 nations.
The resolution, adopted at the 193-member assembly on Friday, September 4, 2026, is intended to focus global attention on ending a practice that disproportionately affects girls and robs them of their childhood and fundamental rights. The day will be observed starting November 27, 2026.
Child, early and forced marriage remains a serious concern across many countries. It is driven by poverty, social norms, insecurity, and inadequate access of girls to education and healthcare. Child marriage denies young people the chance to grow up safely, complete their education, and participate fully in society.
India's co-sponsorship is connected to its 'Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat' or Child Marriage Free India campaign, launched on November 27, 2024. The campaign seeks to reduce the prevalence of child marriage by 10 percent by 2026 and make India child marriage free by 2030. The chosen date marks the anniversary of that launch.
The initiative was championed by Sierra Leone's First Lady Fatima Maada Bio, who heads the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development, and Bhuwan Ribhu, founder of Just Rights for Children, a global child rights network. They have long insisted that a dedicated day would help hold governments accountable and catalyse a coordinated response.
After the UNGA action, Ribhu told PTI: "Today marks the beginning of the end, when the world has spoken in one voice. No More. This is the beginning where the world has spoken. Now is the time to act. From 27th November, the action begins."
He had first formally called for such a resolution in March 2026, during an address at the United Nations, with Maada Bio voicing her support. He said then that the International Day would serve as a global reminder of the need for accountability and unified action by governments, civil society, faith leaders, schools, communities and children.
The adopted resolution encourages member states to develop and implement holistic, multisectoral national strategies and action plans to eliminate child, early and forced marriage. It specifically calls on governments to invest in quality education for all girls, including through programmes that allow married girls and young women to resume or continue their studies.
It also promotes the empowerment of women and girls as a critical preventive measure. The resolution describes child, early and forced marriage as a harmful practice that violates, abuses or impairs human rights, harming victims' education, health, economic prospects and ability to enjoy their rights fully.
Just Rights for Children has welcomed the adoption, calling it a significant milestone in the global fight. It said the move reflects growing international recognition that child marriage is a crime and a form of child sexual abuse. The network says it has prevented and stopped more than 550,000 child marriages since 2023.
Ribhu also stressed that governments must now follow up with decisive action: comprehensive laws, budgeted national action plans, and accountable institutions. He said children need to be included in decision-making, and the ecosystem that allows child marriage to continue—including community leaders, faith systems, police and legal frameworks—must be dismantled.
In her pre-adoption speech to the General Assembly, Maada Bio described child, early and forced marriage as one of the most persistent barriers to gender equality, human rights and sustainable development. Supporters say the international day will, from this year onward, provide a rallying point for campaigners and governments to renew their commitments and report on progress.
