Child Marriage in Nepal and Community-Based Interventions Brigitte Sonnois

DESCRIPTION OF THE CHALLENGE Problem description Origin: Hindu scriptures. Brahmin class. Prevalence: 63%<under 18; 7%<under 10 (year?). 24 out of 60 ethnic groups 25% population (1996) Factors: religious (heaven/hell); socio-cultural (gender); economic (dowry) Consequences: health, education, overall child development Legislation: 18/21; 16/18 parental consent

Theoretical analysis “I was 12 years old when I got married. What is wrong with that ?” : Personal normative belief: right thing to do. “Everybody gets married early around here” Empirical expectation: everybody is doing it. SOCIAL NORM Normative expectation: other people expect me to do so Sanctions: no late marriage or high dowry, ostracization Script: will go to heaven, daughter will marry, dowry will be lower Pluralistic ignorance: some children/youth do not want to get married early Legal vs social norms: inconsistency; no enforcement. Legal sanction only once a critical mass has stopped

Comparison with course case study Similarities with FGM/C Introduced by higher class long ago Related to marriageability of the girl/purity issue Change depends on whole intra-marrying network Human rights: Gender/Women´s and Children´s Physical and psychological/emotional harm Differences with FGM/C Religious rule Economic implications: dowry Caste system Visibility: marriages are public, so people can see the change

Desired outcomes Final outcome: The practice of child marriage is abandoned Intermediate outcomes A critical mass of people believe that early marriage is wrong A critical mass of people believe that other people think the same way and start talking A critical mass of people believe/see that others stop marrying their daughter early For this to happen, there must be common knowledge in the intra-marrying network that a critical mass of people is abandoning the practice.

CRITICAL EVALUATION OF WORK SO FAR Description No specific programme on the issue Decentralized Action for Children and Women (DACAW): HR based, integrated community development: participation, Triple A, community organization/empowerment/capacity building (CAP approach) + services, local government, policy Para Legal Committees (PLC): community-based child protection mechanism: prevention, casework: early detection, response/referral, monitoring/reporting Child Clubs: advocacy child rights/agents for change

Community work on child marriage PLC and Child Clubs work on this issue among many other child protection issues and PLC also GBV issues. Prevention: sensitization sessions; door-to- door campaign during “marriage season” Casework: when child/sibling reports to PLC, negotiation with parents Results: 2004: 121 out of 840 cases reported (solved ?). National level: 3 cases reported.

Course features already integrated Features from various FGM/C abandonment experiences (G.Mackie) Holistic programme, more credible because it addresses a variety of concerns (DACAW) Awareness-raising about fundamental norm “do not harm your child” (PLC) Features from TOSTAN programme Human rights based approach Community empowerment, capacity building, participation, organization Community self-assessment, problem analysis, planning and monitoring

Course features not integrated yet “In order to realize long-lasting positive changes, PLC´s challenge the community and its non- protective practices in public and private forums: ´You have 2 choices: either to continue old practices that may hurt children and women, or stop harm today. If you know the negative consequences of your action, why not stop today ?” (Programme Information Kit)

Course features not integrated yet Theoretical Problem treated exclusively as an issue of personal belief and the approach only addresses individual behaviour change Social dimension, i.e. normative and empiriral expectations, role of social networks, pluralistic ignorance, are not taken into account Only the negative aspect of the issue is presented: there is no re-categorization/re-scripting of the situation in a positive way Methodological Lack of involvement of men and of “influencers” Lack of linkages between human rights and local values Lack of facilitation skills of community workers

SUGGESTED CHANGES Proposed new strategy Research on (i) reasons, beliefs, expectations, “silent dissidents”; (ii) information channels, social networks, in particular intra-marrying, “influencers” Work with “influencers” and “silent dissidents” on new script/positive re-categorization of situation and communication strategies (e.g. community deliberation, decision, commitment, organized difusion, public declaration)

Integration of new strategy into existing programme DACAW: Proposed changes will have a positive impact on a wide range of issues Revise Community Action Process (CAP) so that HR are grounded in community daily life experience (TOSTAN curriculum Year 1) Revise strategies for implementation of CAP and dissemination of KAP, to ensure role of influencers and adequate participation of whole community (adults/adolescents, women/men, higher/lower castes)

Integration of new strategy into existing programme Paralegal Committees and Child Clubs Proposed changes will have an impact on child marriage and the methodology could be used to work on other social norms Revise composition of PLC to include influencers and more men Design/implement a training module for PLC and Child Club members on how to work on the issue of child marriage (messages and methodology: e.g. community deliberation, decision, commitment, organized diffusion, public declaration) Involve PLC´s and Child Clubs from intra-marrying communities together, e.g. organize joint training/meetings

Explore the possibility of working on the abandonment of dowry at the same time, because the 2 issues are so linked