KISS Continues Its Fight against Child Marriage as UN Declares November 27 International Day

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Bhubaneswar: The United Nations General Assembly has declared November 27 as the International Day for the Elimination of Child, Early and Forced Marriage, giving a fresh global push to efforts against child marriage and recognising the urgent need to protect children from the practice.

The UN initiative comes against the backdrop of millions of girls worldwide being married before the age of 18, often at the cost of their education, health, rights and future opportunities.

In India, the ‘Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat’ (Child Marriage-Free India) campaign has been working towards ending child marriage. At the grassroots level, institutions such as the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) have also been undertaking sustained efforts, particularly to empower tribal girls through education and awareness.

KISS has been working on issues related to gender inequality, child marriage and associated health concerns, with a special focus on tribal communities. Since 2022, KISS has partnered with JHPIEGO to develop culturally relevant, youth-led approaches to address these challenges and encourage young people to become agents of change within their communities.

The impact of such initiatives can be seen in the journeys of several KISS students. One tribal girl from Mayurbhanj district, who might otherwise have faced the risk of early marriage, is pursuing higher education at KISS and working to create awareness about the issue within her community.

Through initiatives such as India-YASH, KISS has also strengthened its peer-education programmes, empowering tribal students to challenge prevailing social beliefs and harmful practices. The initiative, implemented through Tribal Health Research Innovation and Vocational Empowerment, focuses on creating awareness about child, early and forced marriage while promoting healthier and more equitable communities.

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Welcoming the UN’s decision, KIIT and KISS Founder Achyuta Samanta said the institutions have consistently placed strong emphasis on girls’ education and awareness.

“Many tribal girls have been kept away from the risk of child marriage through education and empowerment,” Dr. Samanta said, adding that KISS has witnessed this transformation over the years.

He noted that many girls who could have faced early marriage are now completing their education, becoming financially independent and choosing to marry at 25–26 years of age or later.

The UN declaration is expected to strengthen global attention on child marriage. For KISS, however, the fight against the practice has been a sustained effort for years—one that seeks to replace early marriage with education, empowerment and the freedom to choose one’s own future.

Watch the video here:

Also read: KIIT, KISS, KIMS Founder Dr. Achyuta Samanta to Be Conferred With ‘Bharat Gaurav Samman’

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