Progress towards ending child marriage in Nepal appears to have ground to a halt, despite early hopes. Nepal, with the third highest rate of child marriage in Asia – 37 percent of girls married before 18, and 10 percent married by 15 – had been praised for acting to end child marriage.

In March 2016, the government hosted a Girl Summit, launching a national strategy to end child marriage by 2030 – the global target under the 2016 Sustainable Development Goals. Six months later, government officials told Human Rights Watch that they were developing an implementation plan. And yet in August 2017, there is no sign of the plan. The official leading the effort has moved to a different ministry. The government is quiet on when the plan will be finalized, let alone put into action.

Why No Rush to End Child Marriage in Nepal? – Human Rights Watch