Bengal, UNICEF focus on community participation to end child marriage

National Family Health Survey Report-V shows that nearly 48% of rural girls are married off underage in West Bengal

The West Bengal Government and UNICEF have unveiled tools to give impetus to their joint initiative focusing on community participation for ending child marriage, gender inequality and gender-based violence.

West Bengal State Rural Livelihood Mission (WBSRLM), under the aegis of the 'Anandadhara' project, has engaged Self-Help Groups (SHG) since September last year to form child-friendly ‘sanghas’ (clusters) to end child marriage and other deprivations meted out on the children in the State.

Also Read | Siliguri’s all-girl group fights child marriages

Speaking at a programme on Friday, Vibhu Goel, CEO of WBSRLM, said that various State Government departments and UNICEF have been working together so that these malpractices are finished forever.

"Without community participation, it is difficult to make headway. Promotion of better practices by SHG members, their families and their extended families and introduction of a community-based monitoring system are key to achieve success in child protection and child development issues," Mr. Goel was quoted saying in a UNICEF release.

Under the umbrella of ‘Anandhadhara’, the key rural livelihood mission, West Bengal is one of the top States in the country with more than 10.45 lakh SHGs.

"We are also focusing on instilling a mechanism of self-belief among the women so that child marriage and other social malpractices are rooted out," Mr. Goel said.