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"Victims of Child Marriage are an ignored population. They need to be empowered."

Initiatives for Married Adolescent Girls' Empowerment

 

 

 

 

THE PROBLEM

Early Married Girls are excluded from most well being and development initiatives as child marriage is illegal, and there is no clarity on their status. As a result, they are denied their rights.

 

 

 

 

OUR ACTION

We organise married adolescent girls from Karnataka into a movement where we train them on life skills, child rights, advocacy and sensitise them on their entitlements and the ill effects of child marriage. This exercise helps
build a movement of early married girls who are confident, knowledgeable and courageous to advocate for their rights and spread awareness

 

 

 

 

PHASE 1

Provision of services for socio-economic empowerment

 

 

 

 

 

 

Phase 1 of the project reaches out to 204 villages across five districts of Karnataka,

Chamarajanagar, Chikkaballapura, Bidar, Belagavi and Bagalkot

covering 2018 Early Married Girls (EMGs), their families and their spouses

 

 

Our EMGs are empowered in the following areas : 

 

Health

Health

Education

Education

Social Protection

Social Protection

 

 

Vocational Training

Vocational Training

Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

against Gender-Based Violence

against Gender-Based Violence

 

 

 

 

 

 

PHASE 2

Nurturing Movement of Girls and Young Women as Agents of Change to Ascertain their Rights

 

 

 

 

Phase 2 of the project reaches out to 721 villages in fifteen districts of Karnataka covering 15,000 Early Married Girls (EMGs)

 

 

Phase 2 of the project focuses on training Early Married Girls (EMGs) as Agents of Change through the following strategies :

 

Movement Building and Strengthening

Movement Building and Strengthening

Norms and Behaviour Changes

Norms and Behaviour Changes

Leadership Development and Capacity Building

Leadership Development and Capacity Building

Engagement with Government

Engagement with Government

Evidence Gathering and Communication Strategies

Evidence Gathering and Communication Strategies

 

 

 

 

Lahari, an 18-year-old girl from Naremaddepalli village in Chikkaballapura district, lives with her
husband, Naseer in a small rural community. At the age of 16, she fell in love with Naseer while still
in school, and with the support of both families, they were married. The early days of marriage were
filled with joy. However, this happiness was short-lived.

Soon, Lahari began facing severe emotional abuse at the hands of her in-laws. Her mother-in-law
and father-in-law would shout at her and force her out of the house almost every day. Despite the
abuse, Lahari hesitated to leave the marriage. Her deep affection for Naseer and the social stigma
around returning to her parental home kept her silent.

Isolated and burdened, Lahari began withdrawing from others. She struggled to express herself and
carried her pain in silence. Lahari’s situation came to light through the CIF IMAGE Mental Health &
Wellbeing Project. Once enrolled, she and her family began receiving individual and group
counselling. The sessions created a safe space for Lahari to share her experiences and learn about
mental health and its connection to long-term well-being.

Her mother-in-law also participated in the programme and was sensitised to the emotional and psychological impact of her behaviour. Over time, a visible change occurred. Lahari’s in-laws now started to treat her with kindness and dignity. More than that, they have supported her in setting up a small shop, allowing her to build
financial independence and regain her confidence. Lahari’s story is one of transformation—from
silent suffering to empowered living—made possible through early intervention, community dialogue,
and mental health awareness. It stands as a testament to the power of support and empathy in
changing lives.

 

 

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