BHUBANESWAR: Issues like challenges in implementation of laws and low level of awareness among masses have contributed to rising number of child marriage in the State. Effective implementation of laws and creating social awareness in both rural and urban areas can go a long way in curbing the menace.
Legislators, civil society leaders, policy makers, journalists, PRIs, community leaders and children, who have raised voice against child marriage, deliberated on the issues of Child Marriage in Odisha at a two-day State level consultation which began here on Thursday.
Organised by ActionAid with support from UNICEF, the consultation was the culmination of four regional consultations held in Koraput, Balangir, Keonjhar and Bhubaneswar in the last two months.
Deliberating on the topic, Debabrat Patra from Bhubaneswar regional office, ActionAid spoke about the process adopted to understand the issue of child marriage in Odisha and emphasised on the need to work on a campaign mode to combat child marriage with different stakeholders in different level.
Yumi Bae, Chief of Field Office, UNICEF, Odisha said child marriage is impacting the healthy growth of young girls.