EDUCATING AND EMPOWERING RURAL
INDIAN GIRLS AND WOMEN

Veerni believes that true democracy depends on the full participation of women in their communities, and that education is the most effective instrument to secure this end. By providing secondary education to the most vulnerable of populations, Veerni both delays child marriage and works towards eliminating it by creating viable socio-economic alternatives. We prepare our girls for a life in which they are capable of exercising their basic human rights and making independent life choices.

In India 27% of girls are married before their 18th birthday, the legal age for marriage. 7% are married before the age of 15. Rajasthan is among the top 12 states in India where child marriage is prevalent. Almost 90% of child marriages in Rajasthan take place in rural areas. Child marriage is significantly related to educational and poverty levels, most prevalent amongst poor, low-income and backward caste communities in rural Rajasthan.

Yet the situation is not without hope. A recent report by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) based on data collected by the National Family Health Survey (NHFS) reveals that there has been a 20% reduction in child marriages in Rajasthan over the last decade between 2005-2006 and 2015-16. The report concludes that “the completion of secondary education is found to be significant in delaying the age at marriage.”

This is precisely where efforts like Veerni come in.