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.
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 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 :
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 :
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.
