NGO plans campaign against child marriage in 17 high-prevalence Gujarat districts

By A Representative 

A nationwide initiative led by the civil society network Just Rights for Children (JRC) has launched an intensive drive aimed at making one lakh villages across India child marriage free within the next year. As part of this effort, villages across 17 districts in Gujarat identified as high-prevalence areas under the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5, 2019–21) have been selected for focused intervention.

The announcement coincides with the first anniversary of the Government of India’s Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat campaign, launched last year with a 100-day national action plan.

JRC is a network of over 250 NGO partners nationwide, including six partner organisations in Gujarat. According to the network, 3,321 child marriages were prevented in Gujarat in the last year, while more than one lakh were prevented across the country during the same period.

Data from NFHS-5 shows that the prevalence of child marriage in Gujarat stands at 21.8 percent, lower than the national average of 23.3 percent. However, the survey highlights wide district-level variations. In Kheda, child marriage prevalence is reported at 49.2 percent, while Banaskantha, Patan, Panchmahals, Gandhinagar, Mahesana, Mahisagar and Dang record rates above 30 percent. Seven additional districts fall within a range of 23–29.9 percent.

JRC said it has been working through a 3P framework—Protection, Prevention and Prosecution—and reported that 4,35,205 child marriages were prevented nationwide between 1 April 2023 and 14 November 2025. The organisation highlights legal interventions and awareness activities across schools, communities, religious institutions and wedding-related service providers as central to its approach.

Speaking on the initiative, JRC founder Bhuwan Ribhu said community participation remains vital to achieving a child marriage-free India. He expressed support for the government’s campaign and outlined the network’s year-long roadmap.

To mark the anniversary of Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat, the Ministry of Women and Child Development has launched a new 100-day intensive plan ending on International Women’s Day, 8 March 2026. The plan will be implemented in three phases: awareness activities in educational institutions; engagement with religious institutions and marriage service providers; and strengthening community mobilisation through gram panchayats and municipal wards.

The Gujarat government has issued directions for coordinated participation from field officials across departments including Health and Family Welfare, Panchayati Raj, Rural Development, School Education and Higher Education.