Marriage should take place only after age of 20
KATHMANDU, June 8: Influential figures play a vital role as social catalysts, shaping society through their actions and serving as role models. Recently, these social influencers spoke against lowering the legal marriage age in a program held in Kathmandu.
Pabitra Saki, popularly known as Miss Pabi from Dadeldhura, who rose to fame after a viral TikTok video in the Doteli language, firmly opposed lowering the legal marriage age. She argued that although 17 or 18-year-olds may appear physically mature, they are not mentally ready for marriage.
"We shouldn't lower the legal age for marriage. At 17 or 18, you still have a baby mind," she said. "Kids at that age can't think about the long term. That's why the law should not allow marriage so early."
She urged families and communities to focus on education and future-building for children instead.
"In the society I come from, even passing grade 12 is a big achievement for girls," she said. "Some problems come from society, but many come from marrying too young. That's why 18 shouldn't be considered a suitable age for marriage."
Advisory task force recommends keeping marriage age at 18
She urged the government and relevant agencies to encourage teenagers aged 18 to focus on building a bright future instead of allowing them to marry. She advised the government, "Provide quality education and healthcare in the many remote and impoverished areas of the country. Do not jeopardize children's futures by lowering the marriage age."
Muskan Khatun, a human rights activist who survived an acid attack at 15 and received the International Women of Courage Award in 2021, also opposes lowering the marriage age. She pointed out that many people in society regret marrying at a very young age. Muskan insists that the current law setting the legal marriage age at 20 is appropriate and should not be lowered, instead, the government should consider raising the age limit.
"I don't support lowering the legal marriage age to 18. This age should be for building one's future," she says. "The current legal marriage age is 20, and reducing it to 18 cuts two crucial years. People gain significant experience and knowledge during those years and can make important changes. That's why lowering the marriage age is inappropriate."
Boxing coach Deepak Maharjan agrees with Miss Pabi and Muskan. He says lowering the marriage age will harm the sports sector the most, and raising the marriage age would be more suitable. He explains that although athletes start training young, ages 18, 19, and 20 are when they begin to peak and perform their best. At this stage, they showcase their full potential, but marrying at this age limits their performance. He adds, "Living without work is difficult in Nepal. When young people marry at the age they should be building their future and pursuing goals, they risk falling into poverty and despair. The country may also lose talented athletes."
Maharjan urges authorities to discourage early marriage by criminalizing physical relationships at a young age and enforcing strict punishments.
Irshad Ansari, Policy Advocacy Manager at Plan International Nepal, calls child marriage a social deformity. He points out that while urban areas rarely see child marriage, rural and impoverished communities continue to face this serious problem. "Child marriage doesn't happen in Kathmandu, but it does in rural and poor settlements. Lowering the marriage age will only worsen this problem in the future," he warned.
Kabita Aryal from the Nursing and Social Security Division of the Ministry of Health highlights that early marriage causes physical, mental, and economic problems. She stresses that reaching the age to receive citizenship does not mean a person is ready to marry.
Similarly, Pashupati Kunwar from Sanfebagar Municipality-4 in Achham rejects the debate on lowering the marriage age as completely wrong.
She clearly distinguishes between obtaining citizenship, engaging in physical relationships, and marriage, emphasizing that marriage directly impacts life and career. She highlights that early marriage increases reproductive and pregnancy risks for adolescent girls.
She said that uterine prolapse currently affects around 600,000 women in Nepal, caused by engaging in sexual relations and pregnancy before their bodies are physically mature. Kunwar, the founding chairperson of Samabikas Nepal, an organization that primarily works for women and children, urged the government to investigate where and why child marriage occurs. She said only then will it become clear that lowering the marriage age is unacceptable.
Young artist Binay Rimal, who portrays problems caused by child marriage through his artwork, also argues that lowering the marriage age is unjustified. He participated in the 'National Fine Arts Exhibition 2082 BS' and won an award for outstanding replacement art from Bagmati Province. Binay revealed that he learned his mother could not study because she married at a very young age.
He advocates raising the marriage age rather than lowering it. Rimal raises social awareness by creating a compelling painting titled, "I want to build my future now. I don't want to marry and settle into someone else's home." Like Rimal, young artists Sandhya Magar, Pujan Limbu, and Arina Limbu also oppose lowering the marriage age.
The current law defines anyone under 18 as a child and classifies marriage below 20 years as child marriage. The law prohibits child marriage. The government has implemented the National Strategy to End Child Marriage, 2080 BS, aiming to eliminate child marriage by 2030.
The 2021 census shows that about 22 percent of children aged 15 to 17 and 7 percent of those aged 10 to 14 have married. Marginalized, Dalit, and disadvantaged communities account for many of these early marriages.
Some people argue that lowering the legal marriage age would reduce cases of rape and child marriage. Responding to this, the subcommittee formed by the Parliamentary Committee on Law, Justice, and Human Rights recommended that the government lower the marriage age limit from 20 to 18 years. This recommendation has sparked a debate on the issue.
