Marry Me Later: Preventing child marriage and early pregnancy in India

Marry Me Later analyzes the prevalent problem of child marriage in India, as well as progress made to curb its progression. In addition, the report identifies high potential non-profit organizations that funders should look to support and scale. These organizations work directly to access to education, vocational training, advocacy etc. for girls in communities across India.

Nearly half of India’s girls are married before the age of 18 and one in five is married before the age of 15. Identified as a harmful traditional practice in India, this report points out specific areas for focused action against child marriage as well as improving the quality of life for married girls:

• Create alternate life options for girls
• Identify and sensitize gatekeepers
• Promote birth and marriage registration
• Address the needs of adolescent brides

Among these areas, Dasra promotes two areas of intervention: improved access to education for girls and access to vocation training, life skills, and sexual and reproductive health information.