The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution on 4 September 2026 to observe 27 November every year as the International Day for the Elimination of Child, Early and Forced Marriage. The resolution was adopted by consensus in the 193-member United Nations and was presented by Dr. Fatima Maada Bio, First Lady of Sierra Leone and President of the Organization of African First Ladies for Development.
International Day and UN Framework
The United Nations designates international days through General Assembly resolutions to mark global issues and to support awareness, advocacy and policy coordination. The new observance is linked to child marriage, early marriage and forced marriage, which are terms used in international human rights and development discussions. Child marriage refers to any formal marriage or informal union where at least one party is below 18 years of age. Early marriage is a broader term used for marriage at a young age, while forced marriage refers to a union entered into without full and free consent.
Global and Indian Context
The United Nations Population Fund has stated that about 640 million living girls and women were married during childhood. It has also stated that around 12 million girls are married before the age of 18 each year. India has a national campaign called Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat, launched on 27 November 2024. The date 27 November now matches both the national campaign anniversary and the new United Nations observance.
India, Assam and Civil Society Links
Bhuwan Ribhu, founder of Just Rights for Children, was involved in advocacy for a dedicated international day and attended the United Nations proceedings. Just Rights for Children is an Indian non-governmental organisation working on child protection and child marriage prevention. Assam has conducted a state-level crackdown on child marriage cases. The state has reported over 12,000 registered cases and 11,000 arrests, and it has cited an 81% decline in child marriages across 20 districts. India’s National Family Health Survey data has recorded a fall in the share of women aged 20–24 years who were married before 18 years, from 23.3% in NFHS-5 (2019–2021) to 20.1% in NFHS-6 (2023–2024).
Important Facts for Exams
- The United Nations General Assembly has 193 Member States.
- 27 November is now the annual date for the International Day for the Elimination of Child, Early and Forced Marriage.
- UNFPA is the United Nations agency focused on sexual and reproductive health and population issues.
- NFHS stands for National Family Health Survey, which is used in India for health and demographic indicators.
Legal and Policy Terms
The term child marriage is used in international law, public health and child protection policy. In India, the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 is the principal law dealing with child marriage.
