From Child Marriage Survivor to Advocate for Change: Neha’s Fight for Girl’s Rights

“I am 18 years old, and I have stopped three child marriages. I was almost a victim of child marriage, but I was saved.” Neha’s fight against child marriage has turned her into a beacon of hope in her community in Sarlahi District. 

At just 18, she has transformed from a potential child bride into a powerful advocate, inspiring her community to rethink their traditions. In a remote village on the Nepal-India border, where child marriage was once an unchallenged norm, Neha’s courage has sparked transformation.

Four years ago, Neha discovered her parents had arranged her marriage to an older man from India. Desperate to avoid this fate, she pleaded with her parents and even attempted drastic measures to show her distress. Eventually, she escaped to her sister’s house, fearing she would never see her parents again. During this time, her family encountered a World Vision intervention that emphasized the importance of education. Her parents received training on the benefits of keeping their daughters in school, leading to a significant shift in their mindset. Neha was joyful to return to school and avoid marriage.

Today, Neha is completing her studies and leading the charge to end child marriage in her community. She facilitates training sessions for young girls, teaching them how to resist child marriage and report instances to authorities. With the support of World Vision, Neha has built a network of activists who are trusted by their peers and serve as the community's eyes and ears. In the afternoons after school, Neha facilitates trainings with other young girls. She has a network of activists who she is training on how to resist child marriage as well as detect other instances of it happening in the community and report them to the authorities. This network provides ears on the ground to what’s really happening in the community as the girls are trusted by their peers who feel safe confiding in them.

“There is a child club in our community, and we know if somebody is getting married in our village, through the members. In other villages, we know it through the child clubs and there are friends from Rupantaran training who tell us about it, and we inform the organization’s staff and the police too,” says Neha. 

Her father has become the principal of her school, committed to ensuring all his daughters finish their education. Neha underwent Rupantaran Life Skills and Protective Skills training, a government-led curriculum for behaviour changes and increased self-esteem. World Vision’s sponsorship programme focuses on vulnerable children, providing life skills education and support to prevent child marriage.

Statistics show that girls who marry before 18 are more likely to face abuse and less likely to stay in school. By keeping girls in school, we can significantly reduce the likelihood of child marriage. According to the World Bank, each additional year of secondary education decreases a girl's chance of marrying by six percentage points. World Vision’s sponsorship programme places education at the centre of its efforts, particularly in regions of Nepal where child marriage rates are high. Educated girls are less likely to become pregnant or face violence, and they gain the tools to break free from generational poverty.

“I didn’t even think in my dreams that I would become like this. Other girls in my community say that they want to be like me. They see me as a changemaker and want to be like me. I survived child marriage, and I am conducting programmes in my community to end child marriage”, exclaims Neha with pride.  

In FY 24, World Vision and its implementing partners have enhanced the capacity of 18,430 children (8,729 boys & 9,701 girls) through sessions addressing violence and abuse while 10,149 children (4,539 boys & 5,610 girls) were trained on protection issues.