Just Rights for Children International

Child marriage is child rape. It is encouraging to see the world increasingly rally behind this truth. Grateful to H.E. Dr Fatima Maada Bio, First Lady of Sierra Leone @FirstLadyBio , for calling a spade a spade and standing firmly for the protection of girls. We welcome the important research released by the Institute of Global Politics Women’s Initiative at @Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) @ColumbiaSIPA. It reinforces the growing global consensus that child marriage must be recognised and addressed as sexual abuse and a crime. Together, we must accelerate action to end child marriage within this generation. #ChildMarriageFreeWorld @ColumbiaIGP

Our founder @Bhuwan_Ribhu writes in @htTweets : It's time for the @UN to dedicate an International Day for a #ChildMarriageFreeWorld. A child is married every 3 seconds. The world has the resolve. Now it needs a day that turns that resolve into action. Read why: hindustantimes.com/ht-insight/int… #EndChildMarriage #JustRightsForChildren @worldjurist @FirstLadyBio @JustRightsIntl @cookieshradha @franceonu @PioSmith_UN @RomeIsabelle @TZahneisen @sdivya91 @JahaENDFGM @SafeHands4Girls @ACRold @diplocourier @AU_HHS

“It is a crime by parents who are supposed to protect children.” Child marriage in India remains a critical issue, with millions of girls still married before adulthood. It leads to early pregnancies, serious health risks, loss of #education, and perpetuates cycles of poverty and #genderinequality. While laws exist, gaps in awareness, economic pressures, and weak enforcement continue to sustain the practice. Ending child marriage requires urgent, system-led action, #strongerenforcement, and sustained prevention efforts. Read the full article below in The Sankei Shimbun @Sankei_news #JustRightsForChildren #EndChildMarriage

Watch the complete address of our Founder, Bhuwan Ribhu, at the Opening Session of the World Law Congress #Tirana2027 in Albania, convened by @worldjurist and the @WorldLawFound In this address, he reflects on the #RuleOfLaw, child protection, justice, dignity, and the urgent need to ensure that law reaches the last child. Full speech: youtu.be/cgt16G-VjSA?si… @Bhuwan_Ribhu #WorldLawCongress #ChildProtection

The #ruleoflaw is not only about crime or punishment. It is the solemn promise we make to ourselves as a society and as a civilisation, and to our fellow human beings. It is how we ensure access to education, employment, services, health and dignity. Life with dignity is the fundamental right and the fundamental promise of the rule of law. Today, at the Opening Session of the World Law Congress #Tirana 2027. @worldjurist @JustRightsIntl #WorldLawCongress #RuleOfLaw #JuristsForChildren #ChildProtection

“Legal justice, not only social justice and not only economic justice, is a birthright. Through stronger policies, stronger institutions, capacity building, accessible knowledge, communities and technology, we must enable justice and access to justice for all.” @Bhuwan_Ribhu | Opening Session, World Law Congress 2027 #Tirana #Albania #RuleOfLaw @worldjurist

"The rule of law is not only about crime or punishment. It is the solemn promise we make to ourselves as a society and as a civilisation, and to our fellow human beings. It is how we ensure access to education, employment, services, health and dignity. Life with dignity is the fundamental right and the fundamental promise of the rule of law." @Bhuwan_Ribhu | Opening Session, World Law Congress 2027 #Tirana #Albania #RuleOfLaw @worldjurist

“When the United Nations feared that it would take 300 years to end the scourge of child marriage, we embarked upon this journey. And together, within this generation, the rule of law will reach every child and make child marriage history.” @Bhuwan_Ribhu | Opening Session, World Law Congress 2027 #Tirana #Albania #RuleOfLaw @worldjurist

“Child marriage is a crisis of health. It is a crisis of education. It is a crisis of protection. It is a crisis of the economy. It is a crisis of fear. And it is a crisis of unjust laws and practices that allow children to be raped in the name of marriage and abused in the name of marriage.” @Bhuwan_Ribhu | Opening Session, World Law Congress 2027 #Tirana #Albania #RuleOfLaw @worldjurist

“A child who is unsafe in one part of the world is a threat to the rule of law and the rule of justice everywhere in the world. If we fail to protect our children today, nothing else we do matters tomorrow.” @Bhuwan_Ribhu | Opening Session, World Law Congress 2027 #Tirana #Albania #RuleOfLaw @worldjurist

“The force of love and the force of law are not separate truths. They are the same truth, acknowledged and spoken about in different words. The force of love and the force of law must work together to strengthen civilisation and humanity.” @Bhuwan_Ribhu | Opening Session, World Law Congress 2027 #Tirana #Albania #RuleOfLaw @worldjurist

"We must promise ourselves that we will be the last generation that sees unjust laws, lack of laws and non-enforcement of laws. A commitment to making at least one injustice in the world history." @Bhuwan_Ribhu | Opening Session, World Law Congress 2027 #Tirana #Albania #RuleOfLaw @worldjurist

No religion allows the marriage of a child. Really appreciate the action taken by Italy's Prime Minister @GiorgiaMeloni against a Pakistani imam who declared that a nine-year-old girl can be married. Her #zerotolerance approach makes her a #realhero among political leaders who must take a firm stand against child rape in the form of #childmarriage. Faith leaders hold a position of trust in society. Their words reach millions and when they use that position to justify child sexual abuse, they are not speaking for God. They are committing a crime. And they must be prosecuted for it. #ChildMarriageFreeWorld @JustRightsIntl tribuneindia.com/news/pakistan/…

Voices from around the world came together during the celebration of 100 Days of Action. Through their words, partners shared experiences, insights, and the actions driving change across communities. #ChildMarriageFreeWorld #100DaysOfAction #WePledge #EndChildMarriage @JustRightsIntl

🌍 #EndingChildMarriage Investing in adolescent girls and young mothers is transforming communities in Kenya 🇰🇪 Through #100DaysOfAction, participants gained knowledge, challenged harmful norms and committed to speak up to stop child marriage. A future free of child marriage.

Framing child marriage not only as a harmful practice but also as a crime against children can strengthen accountability and ensure that justice systems respond more effectively. Legal reform, enforcement of minimum age laws and accessible justice pathways must be central to our response - Dr. Angela Martins, (on behalf of H.E. Ambassador Amma Twum-Amoah, Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, The African Union) @AU_HHS #AccessToJustice #ForALLWomenAndGirls #CSW70 #ChildMarriageFreeWorld #JustRightsForChildren

Child marriage remains a profound structural impediment to the realisation of girls’ rights, particularly in education, health, bodily autonomy and socio economic empowerment. Beyond its devastating impact on individual girls, the practice undermines progress towards gender equality, weakens social protection systems and entrenches intergenerational cycles of poverty and vulnerability - Dr. Angela Martins, (on behalf of H.E. Ambassador Amma Twum-Amoah, Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, The African Union) @AU_HHS #AccessToJustice #ForALLWomenAndGirls #CSW70 #ChildMarriageFreeWorld #JustRightsForChildren

With fewer than five years remaining to achieve the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 5 on gender equality, global trends underscore the urgent need for sustained, coordinated and multisectoral action - Dr. Angela Martins, (on behalf of H.E. Ambassador Amma Twum-Amoah, Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, The African Union) @AU_HHS #AccessToJustice #ForALLWomenAndGirls #CSW70 #ChildMarriageFreeWorld #JustRightsForChildren

Every reported case, every arrest, and every conviction must send a clear message that the law will act against those who harm children. Justice is not separate from prevention. In fact, justice lies in prevention. Without justice, rights remain words. With justice, rights become power — Ms. Rachna Tyagi (@RachnaTyagi24), General Counsel, Just Rights for Children

Opening a critical conversation at our event on the margins of the 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women, moderator Ana Rold (@ACRold), Founder and CEO of The Diplomatic Courier (@diplocourier), posed a powerful question to the panel. What changes when we stop treating child marriage primarily as a social issue and begin recognising it as a criminal justice issue? #AccessToJustice #ForALLWomenAndGirls #CSW70 #ChildMarriageFreeWorld #JustRightsForChildren

Law should not be confused with only crime and punishment. Education and participation are also part of the law — Ms. Rachna Tyagi (@RachnaTyagi24), General Counsel, Just Rights for Children