Kathmandu, June 9
A wave of public dissent has emerged from youth leaders and social media influencers opposing the government’s proposal to lower the legal age for marriage from 20 to 18.
Speaking at the Influencers Meet-up held recently, at Hotel Vivanta, Lalitpur, prominent figures including viral TikTok personality Pavitra Sarki (Miss Pabi), human rights activist Muskan Khatun, boxing coach and Asian medalist Deepak Maharjan, and artist Binay Rimal strongly criticised the proposal, calling it a threat to the future of Nepal’s youth.
The event, themed “Influencers for a Cause: Your Message Matters”, was organised by Plan International Nepal under its campaign “Until we are all equal.” The gathering brought together young influencers to discuss their roles in driving social change, especially regarding child marriage and youth rights.
Miss Pabi stressed that while 17 or 18-year-olds may be physically mature, they lack the emotional and mental readiness for marriage. “That’s an age when people are still developing their identity and understanding life,” she said.
Muskan Khatun, an acid attack survivor and 2021 recipient of the International Women of Courage Award, echoed similar concerns. She argued that early marriage forces youth to abandon their dreams under social pressure. “The existing age limit of 20 is already low. It should be raised, not reduced,” she said.
Sports coach Maharjan warned that reducing the age would derail athletic careers, while artist Rimal pointed to widespread early marriages in rural areas that disrupt girls’ education.
Advocates argue that the proposal undermines the government’s own strategy to end child marriage by 2030, as outlined in its 2080 National Action Plan.
