By Our Correspondent
Jumla, Apr. 4: Hima Rural Municipality, Jumla is working to declare itself a child marriage-free municipality.
The municipality said that it will be declared child marriage-free since child marriage has increased social degradation.

The executive meeting decision mentioned that the overall situation of the municipality has been reviewed by conducting interaction programme at the municipality level.
Chairman of Hima Rural Municipality Raj Bahadur Shahi said that the municipality would be made child marriage-free with the participation of people's representatives, local stakeholders, representatives of political parties, government prosecutor's office, women health volunteers, teachers, students and youth clubs.

As the Constitution of Nepal and the Children's Act have already prohibited child marriage, the municipality has prepared making this announcement to make the government's campaign a success. The municipality has formulated working procedures to get rid of child marriage since it has caused social, economic and other violence.

Hima Rural Municipality Chairman Raj Bahadur Shahi expressed his commitment to integrate data at wards, collect signatures and prepare to declare the municipality free from child marriage.
He said that it was the responsibility of the local government to eradicate child marriage as the government has asked them to start a campaign for it. According to him, the municipality has been conducting awareness programmes at school and ward level since last year by preparing indicators related to marriage.

Prior to this, every subject teacher of schools were taking a 10-minute class on child marriage. Chairman Shahi said that such classes have been organised at the school level to reduce the number of child marriage among the children studying from Grade 8 to 10.

Himali Rokaya, vice-chairperson of Hima Rural municipality, is preparing to declare the place child marriage-free within a few days. She stressed that the municipality has been conducting programmes on behalf of various organizations at the local level to make the village child marriage-free under the programme called "Children with Vice-chairperson".
In the village level review, all the seven wards of Hima have expressed their commitment to eradicate child marriage and informed about the situations in their wards.

According to the preliminary report submitted by all seven wards of the rural municipality, 82.2 per cent child marriage has been stopped and it is said that the municipality is ready for the announcement.
It is important to stop child marriage in order to prevent social evils and improve women's health. This requires the cooperation of all.