Members and children pose for a group photo holding awareness signs outside St. Paul's Church in Peren district, during a campaign by SEVA and Just Rights for Children (JRC) to strengthen child marriage prevention in Nagaland.
DIMAPUR, SEPTEMBER 8 (MExN): The Society for Equitable Voluntary Actions (SEVA) has welcomed the United Nations’ decision to designate November 27 as the International Day for the Elimination of Child Marriage, Early and Forced Marriage, while highlighting its ongoing efforts against child marriage in Longleng and Peren districts of Nagaland.
SEVA, a Project Partner of Just Rights for Children (JRC), is working with communities and local stakeholders in the two districts to strengthen awareness, prevention and collective action against child marriage.
The organisation said its work involves engaging children, adolescents, parents, community members and other stakeholders, while encouraging communities to recognise child marriage as a violation of children’s rights and take collective responsibility for preventing it.
Welcoming the UN declaration, SEVA General Secretary Anuradha Chatterjee said the international recognition should translate into concrete action at the community level.
"The recognition of November 27 as an International Day dedicated to ending child marriage is an important global milestone. It is also a reminder that a declaration becomes meaningful only when it translates into action in our communities," Chatterjee said.
She said SEVA remained committed to working with communities in Longleng and Peren "to ensure that every child has the opportunity to grow, learn and build a future free from child marriage."
SEVA said preventing child marriage requires sustained community involvement beyond awareness programmes. This includes identifying children at risk, strengthening protective systems, supporting continued education and helping vulnerable families access government services and entitlements.
Through community mobilisation and engagement with local institutions and stakeholders, the organisation said it was working to strengthen a protective environment for children in the two districts.
The UN declaration, SEVA said, also recognises the advocacy efforts of JRC and its partners under the Child Marriage Free World campaign, which has called for a dedicated international day against child marriage.
SEVA said the global recognition would further strengthen its grassroots efforts in Nagaland, with the goal of creating communities where children are "protected, educated and empowered to shape their own future."
