Dr. Charu WaliKhanna, Member, NCW was Chief Guest in the release function of the report on ‘Child Marriage in South Asia: Stop the Impunity’ prepared by Center for Reproductive Rights(CRR) at Delhi on 15.11.2013. The programme was organized by CREA, a feminist, human rights organization based in Delhi.
Ms. Rupsa Mallik, Director, Programme and Innovation, CREA gave introductory remarks.
The programme was organized in a question answer format coordinated by Ms. Melissa Upreti, Regional Director for Asia, Center for Reproductive Rights(CRR).

Dr. Charu WaliKhanna, Member answered various questions on the role of NCW to guarantee girls’ and women’s constitutional rights and to ensure that these rights are not violated by child marriage. In her reply she said that NCW has held a series of regional and national consultations in Puducherry, Shilling etc. The recommendations of where were to include provisions of PCMA in the Hindu Marriage Act, Special Marriage Act and the Christian Marriage Act, to appoint Child Marriage Prohibition Officers in all the district and guidelines be issued by State Govt to police officers and Child Marriage Prohibition Officers to enquire thoroughly about all the circumstances of a child marriage, appointment of independent Protection Officers for all women related laws, and introduction of course curriculum in the educational institutions on reproductive health and health hazards associated with child marriage.

Dr. Charu WaliKhanna further said that registration of marriage must be mandatory, as should birth registration. Protecting girls who are already married also requires criminalizing marital rape at all ages, and ensuring girls’ access to reproductive health information and services. Only with these legal guarantees in place can the Indian government fulfill its obligation to ensure girls’ best interest, particularly with regard to bodily integrity and health.

Ms. Payal Shah, Senior Legal Adviser for Asia, CRR answering the question about most legal standards from international human rights law on child marriage said that international law is clear – governments have an immediate obligation to eliminate child marriage and protect married girls from this continuum of harms. Where governments fail to ensure that child marriage is legally prohibited and to effectively enforce this prohibition, they are complicit in violations of girls’ rights stemming from this practice. She further said that child marriage disproportionately affects girls, particularly poor and rural girls, and reflects a discriminatory refusal of governments to prioritize the needs and rights of girls.

Dr. Rinchen Chophel, Director General for the South Asia Initiative to End Violence Against Children (SAIEVAC) Secretariat was asked the question if there are any clear standards on child marriage and what is SAIEVAC’s role in their development or implementation. He spoke about the SAIEVAC’s commitment towards ending child marriage and developing standards through the regional action plan and other interventions. SAIEVAC was established as an outcome of the regional consultation on the UN Study on Violence against Children, and consists of representatives from the Governments of the eight South Asia countries, representatives of Civil Society Organisations and Children, having its Secretariat in Kathmandu, Nepal.

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