09-05-2025
Need action to create safer, healthier environment for adolescent girls in state: Experts
Patna: Policy makers, development planners and academics of the state reviewed and validated the critical evidence supporting investments, reducing child marriage and adolescent pregnancy in Bihar, at a workshop jointly organised by the
Gender Resource Centre
of Chanakya National Law University (CNLU) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) here on collaborative dialogue and evidence-based discussions, the workshop on "The Case for Investment in Interventions to Child Marriage and Reduce Adolescent Pregnancy in Bihar" underscored the need for coordinated action to create a safer, healthier, and more equitable environment for adolescent girls across the observed that despite the state's rich cultural heritage and vibrant demographics, alarming statistics from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) depict a sorry state of affairs so far as the growth and development of girl child is concerned.
The statistics reveal that Bihar has the second-highest incidences of child marriage in the country, with 40.8% of women married before reaching the legal age of 18. Additionally, the prevalence of adolescent pregnancies continues to be a significant concern, with 11% of girls aged between 15 and 19 are either already mothers or pregnant with their first among those who attended the workshop and shared their experiences included development commissioner, Pratyaya Amrit; social welfare department's secretary, Bandana Preyashi; CNLU's vice-chancellor Faizan Mustafa and others.
