Nepal has one of the world’s highest rates of child marriage even though the practice was banned five decades ago and the legal marrying age is 20. Such marriages are declining but child rights activists warn an increasing number of underage couples are eloping for “love marriage” — a term used to describe unions by choice. ‘BETRAYING MY FUTURE’Tamang said voluntary child marriages, like forced unions, still pose the same risks, including dropping out of school, domestic violence and health problems. While the Nepali government has implemented a national strategy to end child marriages — punishable by jail terms and a fine — by 2030, it acknowledges the program can only be successful if the roots of the problem are tackled. Meanwhile, underage love marriages are rarely reported to authorities, with families only seeking legal recourse if they disapprove of unions such as inter-caste marriages.
