UN Declares November 27 International Day to End Child Marriage

The Integrated Rural Management Association (IRMA), which is spearheading a grassroots campaign against child marriage in Kangpokpi district, has welcomed the United Nations’ decision to designate November 27 as the International Day for the Elimination of Child Marriage, Early and Forced Marriage.

IRMA said the UN declaration marks a historic global recognition of the sustained efforts of Just Rights for Children (JRC), India’s largest NGO network working with governments and administrations to combat child marriage. IRMA is a partner organisation of JRC and has been involved in advocating for a dedicated international day to end child marriage.

Speaking at an event organised on the occasion of Teachers’ Day, IRMA Director T. Lamjaneng Haokip said the global recognition was a matter of pride for India and those working at the grassroots to eliminate child marriage.

“It is a moment of immense pride that our efforts have received global recognition. It is also a matter of great pride for India that the United Nations has chosen November 27 for a global day dedicated to ending child marriage.”

Haokip noted that November 27 also holds significance in India as the day on which, in 2024, the Government of India, in partnership with JRC organisations, launched the Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat campaign. However, she stressed that the UN declaration should not be viewed merely as a reason for celebration, but as a renewed commitment to action.

“The real challenge now is to translate this global commitment into action on the ground,” she said, adding that the fight would remain incomplete as long as children continued to face the threat of child marriage in villages across the district.

According to IRMA, legislation alone cannot completely prevent child marriage. The organisation has therefore undertaken awareness programmes in schools, panchayats and villages, encouraged communities to take anti-child-marriage pledges, linked economically vulnerable families with government welfare schemes and facilitated the re-enrolment of children who had dropped out of school.

IRMA has also intervened legally in several cases and helped prevent child marriages in Kangpokpi district.

The international campaign for a dedicated global day was initiated by Bhuwan Ribhu, founder of JRC. During his address at the United Nations in March 2026, Ribhu reiterated the call for a UN resolution establishing a dedicated day to end child marriage.

The initiative received support from international leaders, including Dr Fatima Maada Bio, First Lady of Sierra Leone. Subsequently, Sierra Leone, supported by around 50 countries, including India, led efforts at the UN General Assembly to designate November 27 as an international day dedicated to ending child marriage.

The United Nations adopted the resolution on September 4, 2026.

JRC, through its Child Marriage Free World campaign, has been working to build a global movement against child marriage. In India, its partner organisations work with government authorities across multiple states and in 782 districts, reaching communities and vulnerable groups.

The network has mobilised schools, panchayats, tribal and marginalised communities, women, police personnel, faith leaders and political representatives in collaboration with government and law-enforcement agencies.

JRC claims that these collective efforts have contributed to the prevention of more than 5.5 lakh child marriages in India, while millions of people have taken pledges against child marriage.