Guwahati, September 22: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on September 22 announced a comprehensive initiative aimed at empowering women and achieving Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5) on Gender Equality. This initiative includes various measures such as nutritional support for girls, free primary and higher education, and stringent actions against child marriage.
The Chief Minister emphasized the state’s commitment to addressing issues like violence, trafficking, and exploitation of women and girls. “Achieving gender equality and eliminating discrimination against women and girls are crucial for sustainable development,” Sarma stated.
As part of the initiative, the Assam government has launched a robust campaign against child marriage, which includes the arrest of those facilitating illegal marriages involving girls under the age of 14, as well as those between 14 and 18 years old. This decisive action is in line with recent Cabinet directives aimed at eradicating child marriage in the state.
While there has been a significant 48% reduction in crimes against women per 100,000 female population from 2020 to 2022, there has also been a concerning 2.3-fold increase in reported cases of early marriages under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006.
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