About Our Organization
Gramrajya Vikas Evam Prashikshan Sansthan (GVPS) is dedicated to the development of deprived populations, including backward and poor rural women, people with disabilities, child laborers, victims of trafficking, and violence in Rajasthan. The organization focuses on addressing issues such as child mar
riage, child trafficking, child labor, and child sexual abuse. GVPS actively participated in the Child Marriage Free India Campaign, organizing and engaging with over 350 villages in Bundi, Karauli, and Sawai Madhopur districts of Rajasthan.
The Campaign Activities included:
1. Akshaya Tritiya Campaign (22 April) - GVPS conducted events in Bundi, Karauli, and Sawai Madhopur districts, engaging 246 religious leaders to pledge against child marriage in their communities.
2. June Action Month - GVPS organized this month-long campaign to prevent child labor, resulting in the registration of 4 FIRs. The campaign was conducted in collaboration with the Labour Department, AHTU, Police Department, CWC, and CWPO departments. It received coverage from Rajasthan Patrika, Dainik Bhaskar, Karauli Cronikal, Bundi Bhaskar, Nav Jyoti, Dainik Nav Jyoti, Hadoti Sanchar, and Pradesh Samachar Karauli, reaching an audience of 29 directly.
3. 16 October 2023 - Child Marriage Free India Campaign Event - This campaign event, held in collaboration with PRI, ICDS, Education Department, and DCPU, covered 350 villages in Bundi, Karauli, and Sawai Madhopur districts, including 292 additional villages. Notifications were issued by the Gram Panchayat, and the event reached an audience of 18,329.
Campaign highlights:
• Total cases of child marriage – 62, child labour – 18, trafficking – 24, and sexual abuse – 192.
• Total population covered to raise awareness about child marriage, child labour, and sexual abuse: Individuals – 147,812, Families – 18,330, Groups – 455,692, Sarpanches – 43.
Campaign Photos:
Campaign Media Coverage:
And other activities etc.
• Conducted a rally program on 9th September 2023, Lok Adalat Divas Rath Yatra in Bundi and Hindoli block.
• On 2nd October 2023, organized Gram Sabha Prastav against child marriage, covering 38 Gram Panchayats in Bundi, Karauli, and Sawai Madhopur districts.
• Celebrated Girl Child Day on 11th October 2023, including a book release event in Bundi, Karauli, and Sawai Madhopur districts.
• Conducted a rally program on 10th December 2023, National Lok Adalat Diwas Rath Yatra.
Background
Child marriage is not just an age-old social evil, but also a heinous crime that robs children of their childhood. Child marriage is a “crime against children” that violates basic human rights, minor girls are forced to marry and live a life of mental trauma, physical and biological stress, domestic violence including limited access to education and increased vulnerability to domestic violence. The consequences of child marriage are severe and extensive. Some of the specific consequences include: early pregnancies leading to complications and higher rate of maternal mortality and death of infants, malnutrition among both the infant and the mother, increased vulnerability to reproductive health, disruption in girl’s education and thereby reduction in opportunities of her personal and professional development, domestic violence and abuse, limited decision making powers in the household, and mental health issues.
India’s Census 2011 revealed 12 million children were married before attaining the legal age, of which 5.2 million were girls. Globally, child marriage is identified as a crime and a menace that needs to be eliminated. It finds space in the UN Sustainable Development Goals, under target 5.3 of Goal 5 that states elimination of all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation by 2025.
The latest National Family Health Survey (2019-21) shows that although there is a drop in the overall rate of child marriages, from 26.8% in the National Family Health Survey (NFHS 4) to 23.3% in NFHS-5, it is still high despite laws, programmes and schemes in place to address the issue.
Child Marriage Free India Campaign
Understanding the seriousness of the issue, the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India in W.P. Civil 382 of 2013 pronounced that the sexual intercourse committed by the husband upon his wife being under the age of 18 years with or without her consent can be constituted as rape. To address this, the most definitive and audacious commitment to end child marriage was made with the launch of Child Marriage Free India campaign.
Child Marriage Free India (CMFI) is a nationwide campaign led by women leaders and a coalition of more than 160 NGOs spanning more than 300 districts working to eliminate child marriage in India. CMFI is working to attain the tipping point of child marriage, after which the society does not accept this evil practice and that will happen when the prevalence of child marriage is brought down to 5.5% by 2030, from the current national prevalence rate of 23.3%. This is being done by initially targeting 257 high-prevalence districts and gradually focusing on all the districts of the country.
Child marriage results in child rape, resulting in child pregnancy, and in a large number of cases, may lead to child deaths. For decades, we have been losing generations of our children to child marriage. The Child Marriage Free India campaign has received extended support from various Departments and Institutions of over 28 States. So far, across India more than 5 crore people have taken the pledge to end child marriage over the last one year through the efforts of the Child Marriage Free India Campaign.
Know more about the Child Marriage Free India (CMFI) Campaign: https://www.childmarriagefreeindia.org/
Tipping Point to end child marriage
Noted child rights activist, author, Supreme Court lawyer and founder of CMFI campaign, Bhuwan Ribhu has authored a book - ‘When Children Have Children: Tipping Point to End Child Marriage’ and put forth a framework advocating a sustainable, holistic and focused strategy with time-bound targets and measurable indicators to make India child marriage free by 2030. This book shows the path to eliminating child marriage in India within the next decade. As suggested by the author in the book, by adopting a systematic, highly focused, and intensive intervention model, over a phased timeline it is possible to reduce the national child marriage prevalence levels to 5.5% —the threshold, the tipping point, beyond which the prevalence is anticipated to diminish organically with reduced reliance on targeted interventions.
Tipping Point Methodology
The aim of reduction of 60% of child marriage (in each of the phases) is assumed to bring down the incidence of child marriage to 5.5% in the next 9 nine years from 2021, from the last available estimates i.e., NFHS-5, till 2030. An additional assumption is that such a focused and elaborate intervention against child marriage would have a ripple effect. The tipping point analysis has been divided into two phases. The first phase will extend over a period of six years, starting in 2021. Subsequently, the second phase will span over a three-year period. It is expected that the national average for child marriage prevalence (percentage women aged 20-24 who were married before 18 years) would decline from 23.3% to 13.7% if the prevalence of child marriage is reduced by 60% in the 257 high-prevalence districts in the first phase followed by a further reduction of 60% in all districts across the country.
In order to reach the Tipping Point, the author has proposed a strategy at national and district level.
a. National Level strategy where Governments, Institutions, statutory bodies, etc. work towards prevention, protection, increased investment, improved prosecution, convergence and use of technology for monitoring
b. District Level strategy is similar to national level strategy but includes district administration, Panchayats, civil society, NGOs, other functionaries, parents and children who work collectively to prevent, report, and take action against child marriage Liberated from the grasp of child marriage, once promised as a gesture of love.
Case-1
Sonia, a 13-year-old girl from a modest family in a remote village, found herself in a distressing situation. What began as a budding romance with a local boy turned into a nightmare when he resorted to blackmail, coercing Sonia into a nonconsensual marriage. This case study highlights how the intervention of the Gramrajya Vikas Evam Prashikshan Sansthan (GVPS) team helped Sonia and her family escape the clutches of child marriage.
Living in the village of Delunda I, where early marriages were common, Sonia's family valued education but adhered to traditional norms. However, a charming boy entered Sonia's life and manipulated her trust, using blackmail to force her into marriage.
During an awareness campaign on child marriage organized by the Access to Justice team on 20.06.23, Sonia's case came to light. Recognizing the urgency, the team investigated further. Despite initial hesitation from Sonia's family, they eventually shared their distressing story.
Understanding the need for immediate action, the team supported Sonia's family. They helped them understand their rights and the legal consequences of child marriage. Encouraging the family to stand against this injustice, the team assisted them in filing a First Information Report (FIR) against the boy on 02.07.23, leading to Sonia's rescue on the same day.
With the FIR filed, legal proceedings began, and the team guided Sonia's family through the process. Sonia underwent a medical test on 03.07.23 and provided a statement to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) on the same day, with police involvement. The team ensured they had access to necessary resources and filed for victim compensation at the DLSA Court, which is currently under process.
Despite the challenges, GVPS's Access to Justice team in Baksa supported Sonia's family, leading to legal consequences for the boy and Sonia's escape from a life-altering mistake. This incident sparked community discussions on the dangers of child marriage and prompted a shift in mindset.
Sonia's case exemplifies how intervention can empower vulnerable individuals and families, breaking free from harmful practices. Through legal support and community awareness, GVPS played a crucial role in preventing child marriage and fostering positive change. Sonia has been re-enrolled in school and continues her studies, thanks to the intervention of the GVPS team.
