Assam’s Self-Help Group or SHG members garnered praise and acknowledgement for their significant contribution in the battle against child marriage by Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma. In a recent post on the microblogging site X, the CM commended the 40 lakh SHG members, calling them “true ambassadors of women empowerment”.
Himanta Sarma highlighted, “Our Nari Shakti is leading the charge in advancing social welfare initiatives. The 40 lakh SHG members are spearheading the fight against child marriage with innovative grassroots campaigns.”
Supported by 4 million rural women, the Assam State Rural Livelihood Mission has launched a new social security initiative to combat child marriage. These women are actively involved in raising awareness through street plays and various campaigns. They also run Child Marriage Prevention Campaigns through the Women Protection Cell and Gender Research Centre.
The initiative includes re-enrolling children in schools and offering skill development opportunities for early school dropouts. Additionally, the ‘Ejupi Gos’ program encourages celebrating the birth of girl children by giving saplings to families. SHG members also educate families about beneficial schemes such as ‘Sukanya Samriddhi.’
