UN Declares November 27 as International Day Against Child Marriage

Sep 04, 2026

1 min read

VIVEK NALI

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution on 4 September 2026 designating 27 November every year as the International Day for the Elimination of Child, Early and Forced Marriage.
The resolution was led by Sierra Leone and adopted by consensus, creating a dedicated global platform to accelerate efforts to eliminate child marriage.
The date holds special significance for India, as the Government of India launched the Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat (Child Marriage-Free India) campaign on 27 November 2024 under the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
The campaign follows a “whole-of-government” and “whole-of-society” approach, focusing on awareness, community mobilisation, prevention and timely reporting of child marriages.
The global initiative is also relevant to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5.3, which calls for elimination of harmful practices, including child, early and forced marriage, by 2030.
In India, child marriage is prohibited under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006; under the Act, a child means a male below 21 years or a female below 18 years for marriage.