Lowering of legal marriage age further threatens Nepalese women

April 10, 2025

HRRC strongly condemns the plan to lower the legal marriage age in Nepal. The focus must be on continuing the work done to improve the rights of young women in the country, and this current proposal has the potential to reverse the progress that has been made in recent years.

A proposal to lower the legal marriage age in Nepal has been met with derision and concern, with many viewing it as a threat to women’s rights in the country. The aim of the new law is to lower the legal age from 20 to 18, this despite the fact that it was only raised to 20 in 2017.

The sad reality is that despite being declared illegal since 1963, child marriage is rife in Nepal with UNICEF stating that over five million minors have been directly affected. It is most prominent in communities in the countryside where parents will offer up their daughter for marriage, often in return for a small piece of land.

Once the girl has been handed over, she will most likely lose control of all aspects of her life. Any hopes of an education or a job are often quickly diminished and replaced with a life of servitude. Frighteningly, child brides are often forced into early motherhood which can result in serious health risks for both mother and child.

Supporters of the plan to reduce the age state that the current age of 20 doesn’t reflect culture and society in rural Nepal, especially in provinces such as Madhesh and Karnali. Lawmakers have proclaimed that they are in final discussions with the government, and they have consulted with psychological and medical professionals, who they hope will lend credence to their proposal.

The opinion of women’s groups in the country is that the plan to lower the legal age has just come about to protect men. The original 2017 plan to raise legal age for marriage was part of the government’s vision to end all child marriage in 2030.

At that time, they wanted to send a strong message to conservative Nepalese society: that women do not benefit from being forced into early marriage. It is now imperative that pressure be put on the government to not forget that original goal.

Glossary

Conservative: Holding traditional values and being cautious about change, especially in politics or religion.
Diminished: Made smaller, weaker, or less important.
Derision: Mockery or ridicule; the act of treating someone or something with scorn.
Early motherhood: The condition of becoming a mother at a young age, often during teenage years.
Imperative: Something that is very important or necessary; a command or urgent need.
Lawmakers: People who create or pass laws, such as members of parliament or congress.
Life of servitude: A way of living in which someone is forced to serve others and has little personal freedom.
Rife: Very common or widespread, often used for negative things (e.g., “rife with corruption”).
Rural: Related to the countryside rather than the town or city.

Sources

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Lowering of legal marriage age further threatens Nepalese women

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