Agartala, July 30 — National Commission for Women (NCW) Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar on Thursday said the Commission has set an ambitious target of eliminating child marriage across the country by 2030, with an interim goal of reducing its incidence by 10 per cent by the end of this year.
Addressing a press conference here at the conclusion of her three-day visit to Tripura, Rahatkar said the NCW has set a target to bring child marriage down to zero across the country by 2030 and achieve a 10 per cent reduction by 2026 as a step towards that larger objective.
She said the Tripura government is working with dedication and determination to eliminate child marriage in the state and has adopted several effective measures to achieve the goal by 2030.
According to officials, the national average of child marriage stands at 23.3 per cent, while West Bengal, Bihar and Tripura continue to record among the highest prevalence rates, with more than 40 per cent of women married before attaining the age of 18.
During her visit, the NCW Chairperson held a series of meetings in different districts and awareness programmes focusing on child marriage, human trafficking, implementation of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and women's welfare.
She said constructive discussions were held with Chief Secretary J.K. Sinha and Special Secretary of the Social Education and Social Welfare Department Tapan Kumar Das at the State Guest House on various initiatives undertaken by the Tripura government for the welfare, safety and empowerment of women.
Describing Tripura as a sensitive border state vulnerable to trafficking of women and girls, Rahatkar said she also met senior Border Security Force (BSF) officials to discuss measures for strengthening vigilance and sensitising personnel to prevent cross-border human trafficking.
As part of her engagements, Rahatkar participated in an anti-human trafficking workshop organised by the 42nd Battalion of the BSF at Fatikcherra in West Tripura district, where she emphasised the importance of coordinated efforts among security agencies, civil administration and local communities to curb trafficking.
Calling child marriage a serious social challenge, the NCW Chairperson said government agencies, law enforcement authorities and social organisations are working relentlessly to tackle the issue in Tripura through awareness campaigns, education and stricter enforcement of the law.
She urged women facing harassment, domestic violence or any other form of abuse to come forward without fear and lodge complaints with the police or the appropriate authorities.
Rahatkar said women and girls in distress can seek immediate assistance through the 112 Emergency Response Support System, which functions round the clock, and also encouraged them to make use of the 181 Women's Helpline for counselling, protection and other support services.
The NCW Chairperson also lauded the work of women-led Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in the state. She said she met Lakhpati Didis and members of SHGs in Udaipur of Gomati district on Wednesday and was deeply impressed by their efforts towards sustainable income generation and economic self-reliance. Their success reflects the growing role of women in strengthening rural livelihoods and local economies.
On Tuesday, Rahatkar met Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha and discussed a wide range of issues relating to women's empowerment, safety, education, economic participation and welfare, besides reviewing the state's ongoing initiatives to protect the rights and dignity of women and girl children.
Meanwhile, the Border Security Force (BSF), Tripura Frontier, in collaboration with the NCW, New Delhi, organised a Capacity Building Workshop on anti-human trafficking on Thursday at Fatikchhera in West Tripura.
A BSF statement said that the Chairperson, NCW, addressed the participants, thereafter, two technical sessions were conducted by NCW experts on the legal framework, victim identification, rescue and rehabilitation, investigation procedures, inter-agency coordination, and best practices to combat human trafficking.
Following the conclusion of the technical sessions, an interactive open house discussion was held, providing participants with an opportunity to exchange field experiences and interact directly with the experts.
More than 300 BSF personnel from various sectors and units under BSF Tripura Frontier attended the workshop, the statement said.
It said that the programme reaffirmed BSF's commitment to strengthening professional capacity and enhancing inter-agency collaboration to effectively combat human trafficking in border areas.