An estimated 152 million children worldwide are engaged in child labour, with India accounting
for about 7.3% of this number. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 100 million girls were
projected to marry before turning 18 within the following decade. The pandemic has placed an
additional 10 million girls at risk of becoming child brides. In India, at least 1.5 million girls under
18 are married each year — making the country home to the largest number of child brides in
the world.
Children - especially girls - remain vulnerable to school dropouts, trafficking, early marriage,
pregnancies, and various forms of abuse and violence. Without adequate protection and access
to education, healthcare, and supportive environments, they face lifelong risks of neglect and
deprivation, with lasting social and economic consequences.
In these circumstances, there is an urgent need to ensure that every child experiences a safe,
nurturing, and development-oriented childhood.
