Avoiding child marriage and reclaiming independence: Sumita’s story

Since 2014, ETP and UNICEF have worked together through the Improving Lives programme to address some of the challenges communities in Assam’s tea estates face. The programme focuses on establishing robust systems for children and their families to access their rights.

As part of the programme, ETP and UNICEF aim to end child marriage and elopement in tea plantations and raise awareness of its consequences on children and their families. Child marriage and elopement disproportionately affects girls, robbing them of their childhood and well-being. Girls married before 18 are more likely to experience domestic violence, drop out of school, and face poorer health and economic outcomes. This practice also isolates girls from their families and friends, hurting their mental health.

An epiphany of education and girlhood

Assam, 27 January 2024 – Sumita, a 17-year-old girl and the eldest among her five siblings, lives with her parents in the Bahadur tea estate.

While attending high school last year, Sumita met a young man (20) who proposed marriage after a few weeks. Although she initially refused, a heated discussion with her parents regarding her cellphone usage led her to run away from home with him.

In response, Child Protection Committees (CPCs) and Mothers Groups who had attended training provided by the Improving Lives programme, came together to help Sumita return home. Meanwhile, the authorities took appropriate measures to ensure the situation was handled, in line with the programme’s robust protection system and India’s legal framework. Through this intervention, the CPC and Mothers Group were able to follow a lawful approach to prevent any harm to Sumita.

ETP and UNICEF work in partnership to strengthen child protection in Assam’s tea gardens. Thanks to the partnership’s efforts, 94% of tea gardens now have active CPCs. These committees play a crucial role in educating adolescents on reporting grievances and the dangers of gender-based violence, including child marriage.

The support of CPC members and the Mothers Group

“CPC members’ role is not limited to stopping child marriage. We are here to ensure that every child in the tea estate, from birth to the age of 18, is able to develop their mental and physical abilities,” explained Pahthar Kisha, CPC member and health assistant in the Bahadur estate.

When Sumita left, CPC and Mothers Group members acted very quickly, staying in close contact with the authorities to ensure she could come back home without harm and before any marriage occurred. Her father explains:

Riten, another CPC member, served as the liaison between Sumita’s family and the police.

“CPC and Mothers Group members know what to do in those situations. The awareness sessions we had as part of the programme have helped us coordinate our efforts to answer quickly and effectively. We are now sharing this knowledge with the Adolescent Girls Group.”

Adolescent Groups (AGs) are funded by the ETP and UNICEF partnership. As part of these groups, children receive training on recurrent issues, such as staying in school, preventing child marriage, and understanding their rights to social protection. To date, the programme has reached over 25,000 adolescents with positive behaviour change messages and established Adolescent Friendly Centers in 151 tea gardens.

Rehabilitation and realigning purpose

Upon her return home, Sumita received ongoing support from CPC members. Sumitra, a member of the CPC and Mothers Group, explained that they have been visiting Sumita’s home every week.

“Although it seemed that she [Sumita] was not physically affected, it took a toll on her mental health. We [CPC members] gave her counselling to improve her mental strength.”

Shri, Sumita’s Teacher, added:

Sumita returned to school a month after the incident.

“I was able to go back to my studies. I also started going to the Adolescent Girls Group, which really taught me a lot. I didn’t know anything about child marriage, but I have learnt a lot and I can share my experience with my schoolmates.” she explained.

Sumita will soon enter her final year of high school and prepare for her secondary studies exams.

Impact of the programme

Cases of child marriage have decreased significantly in tea estates over the years.

A notable achievement is the decline in child marriage among girls aged 15-19 years, dropping from 5% in 2019 to 2% in 2022. This contrasts with the national increase in child marriage rates to 34% in the same year.

Shri highlighted that thanks to the Improving Lives programme, communities are now more aware and have established ways to address child marriage issues.

“As members of the CPC, we must make people aware of child marriages. We hold monthly meetings for the communities, but also cultural activities, sports events and use banners and posters to create awareness about the negative consequences of child marriage.”

In addition, between 2018 and 2022, the programme also averted 98 cases of child marriage. By the end of 2023, all tea estates in the Improving Lives programme had received training to address child-protection concerns, with specific focus on ending child marriage.