Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat: Campaign to End Child Marriages

Why in the news?

Union Minister Smt. Annpurna Devi is launching “Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat” on November 27, 2024, focusing on eradicating child marriage and empowering girls through education and entrepreneurship.

Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat: Campaign to End Child Marriages

Launch of National Campaign “Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat”:

  • Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Smt. Annpurna Devi, will launch the campaign on November 27, 2024, at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
  • Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Smt. Savitri Thakur, will attend the event.
  • The campaign focuses on eradicating child marriage and empowering girls to achieve “Viksit Bharat” by 2047.

Key Features of the Campaign

  • Inspired by the success of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, this initiative addresses the prevalence of child marriage affecting 1 in 5 girls in India.
  • Aims to promote education, skilling, and entrepreneurship among girls for their full societal participation.
  • Annpurna Devi will lead a collective pledge against child marriage, expected to reach 25 crore citizens nationwide.
  • Launch of ‘Child Marriage Free Bharat’ portal, designed to raise awareness, facilitate incident reporting, and promote prevention measures.

Stakeholder Participation and Outreach

  • Event to be attended by Child Marriage Prohibition Officers, civil society organizations, government officials, and media representatives in physical and virtual modes.
  • Live streaming through webcasts and YouTube ensures broad public engagement.
  • The campaign aligns with the “whole of government” and “whole of society” approach to achieve equitable opportunities for girls and women.
  • Reinforces India’s progress in child mortality reduction, improved sex ratio at birth, and higher female educational enrollment.

Sources Referred:

PIB, The Hindu, Indian Express, Hindustan Times