State Strategy and Action Plan (SSAP) for Prevention of Child Marriage :

The strategy is based on the four-level ecological model of development that promotes a holistic approach which recognises not only the risk factors, but also the norms, beliefs and social and economic systems that create and sustain the conditions where child marriage thrives. The framework also recognises the respective roles that different stakeholders play to create a protective environment for children. The model stipulates that all stakeholders have different responsibilities at different levels of operation to shape and influence the life-course of a child. The influences will be included at the individual, interpersonal community and societal level.

Vision :

 A state where every girl and boy is empowered to exercise her/his rights and to take informed decisions to realise their aspirations, without being under the risk of child marriage, having equal access to opportunities for education, health, skills and livelihood.

Objectives :

• To strengthen the policies and systems to deliver programmes and services.
• To empower adolescents, especially girls, with information, knowledge and skills to exercise their rights and choices for protection against the gender-based harmful practices.
• To mobilise communities and community-based networks for change in existing norms, attitudes, beliefs and practices that promotes child marriage and other harmful practices.
• To strengthen implementation of Prohibition of Child Marriage Act and other related legislations and child protection systems to prevent child marriages and to uphold rights of the child.
•  To develop a robust data system and intermediary indicators that would help track the progress of child marriage related programmes and interventions in the State.

Goal  :

To make Rajasthan child marriage-free by preventing the incidents of child marriages, empowering girls and boys and to provide socio-economic, legal, education and health services to those affected by it.

Key Strategies :

 Focus areas and proposed strategic interventions :

 Strategic Focus Area 1: Change community norms, patriarchal mindsets and societal beliefs that drive child marriage 1.1 Develop and disseminate information briefs and edutainment materials about the implications and consequences of child marriage at the community level. 1.2 Launch a State-wide joint campaign “Sanjha Abhiyan – Bal Vivah Mukt Rajasthan” and mobilise the community through the medium of folk songs, skits and art. 1.3 Build capacities of grassroot level committees like Village Health Sanitation Committees and Child Protection Committees to spread awareness on child marriage and increase reporting on incidents of child marriage. 1.4 Engage with media on issues of child marriage and the various drivers that cause child marriage in order to promote sensitive reporting and upholding rights of the child. 1.5 Engage elected representatives at State, District and gram panchayat level to be strong advocates against child marriage. 1.6 Strengthen involvement of Panchayati Raj functionaries (local governance officials) in addressing child marriage and using gram sabha as a platform to influence the mindset of the community. 1.7 Engage with community level stakeholders that include opinion makers and gatekeepers to adopt a stand against child marriage and provide rehabilitative support for those affected by it. 1.8 Leverage strengths of religious bodies and trade associations to influence the mindset of communities to act against child marriage.

Strategic Focus Area 2: Design district specific strategies on the basis of prevalence 2.1 Develop district specific action plans based on the intensity of the prevalence of child marriage (high, medium and low) 2.2 Plan and execute the district-wide joint campaign of“Sanjha Abhiyan – Bal Vivah Mukt Rajasthan”. 2.3 Synergise and coordinate efforts of various civil society organisations in the district.

Strategic Focus Area 3:  Improve legal and policy environment (with focus on rights) to protect adolescents from child marriage 3.1 Effective implementation of policies and laws and stipulate the roles and responsibilities and accountability of different stakeholders at state, district, block and community level in policy and law enforcement. 3.2 Awareness Generation on government policies, laws and schemes related to child marriage, child protection and adolescent empowerment. 3.3 Enhance legal-awareness on various child-protection and gender related legislations. 3.4 Strengthen rehabilitation and redressal mechanisms for children affected by marriage.

Strategic Focus Area 4: Increase access to safe and quality education 4.1 Strengthen implementation of existing programmes and schemes to increase reach of girls to quality education, retention and reducing of absenteeism, especially those from vulnerable backgrounds. 4.2 Enhance awareness among students on the effects of child marriage, the PCMA Act and avenues for reporting cases of violation of the PCMA Act. 4.3 Strengthen teacher community, teacher-parent and teacher-student interface through multiple platforms. 4.4 Integrate Gender, Rights education, Life Skills and PCMA(Prohibition of Child Marriage Act) ( with focus on rights of child and implications of harmful practices of Child Marriage) in primary and secondary school curriculum.

Strategic Focus Area 5: Provide access to quality health, nutrition and reproductive health services 5.1 Equip health service providers on ill-effects of child marriage and child bearing under the age of 18 5.2 Build networks among adolescents for accessing counselling services at the health centre and connect adolescents to other adolescent clubs for improving health-related behaviours. 5.3 Engage with training institutions to integrate sexual and reproductive health rights of adolescents in the various curricula of training for different cadres of health service.

Strategic Focus Area 6: Build avenues for economic development and livelihoods 6.1 Strengthen the delivery of existing programmes and schemes related to skills and livelihood for enabling adolescents to access them. 6.2 Channelise youth energy at block level to train adolescents on vocational skills. 6.3 Mainstream entrepreneurship development and financial literacy as part of the school curriculum.

Institutional Mechanisms :

1. State High Level Executive Committee :  At the highest level, a state high level Executive Committee will be constituted under the chairpersonship of the Chief Secretary. The State executive committee will be the same as the committee under the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme.

2. State Strategy and Action Plan Committee : Quarterly Review of the State Strategy and Action Plan will be undertaken by the State Strategy and Action Plan Committee under the chairpersonship of the Principal Secretary / Secretary, Department of Women and Child Development. The Commissioner, Directorate of Women Empowerment will be the Member Secretary and will share the status of the implementation.

3. Action Plan Review and Partner Advisory Group : The State Strategy and Action Plan will be reviewed once in two months. This internal review will be undertaken under the chairpersonship of the Commissioner/Director, Directorate of Women Empowerment.

4. Technical Support Unit : A State Technical Support Unit will be established at the Directorate of Women Empowerment to spearhead the activities envisaged under the State Strategy and Action Plan.

5. District Level Task Force :  A District Level Task Force will be set up at the district level under the chairpersonship of the District Collector. The District Task force of State Strategy and Action Plan will be co-terminus with the district task force of girl child policy.

6. Block Level Action Group : A Block Level Action Group will be convened under the chairpersonship of the SDM, with representation from PRIs, other CMPOs (Child Marriage Prohibition Officer) and other government officials. This group will ensure proper implementation of the SSAP and monitor progress at the block level.

7. Gram Panchayat Action Group : The Standing Committee on Social Services constituted in every gram panchayat will act as a Gram Panchayat Action Group that will coordinate, monitor and ensure that no child marriage takes place in the gram panchayat area. One of the major agenda points of the Standing Committee’s meeting is to review regularly the status of child marriage in their jurisdiction. The members of the group will keep a close watch on child marriages in their area and ensure strict implementation of the law. They will also bring the issues of child marriage to centre stage in the ‘gram sabhas’ and engage closely with gate-keepers, including community leaders and communities that promote child marriage. They will identify role models to advocate the empowerment of girls and boys in their panchayats and make panchayats child marriage free.

Implementation framework and action plan :

The implementation framework details the role of various departments and indicators to monitor performance. The implementation of the Action plan will be undertaken in partnership with UN agencies, Development partners, NGOs and Civil Society.

The implementation of the State Strategy and Action Plan involves a united effort of the Government of Rajasthan, development partners, NGOs, community members, PRIs, adolescent boys and girls and media houses. In order to co-create something as impactful as a child marriage-free Rajasthan, successful partnership is very essential. These partnerships will not only compliment the efforts of the government, but also will synergise and multiply the efforts for a quantum leap in achieving the goal of making Rajasthan child marriage-free.