Just Rights For Children Convenes Global Leaders During UN General Assembly Week in New York to Take Action to Achieve a Child Marriage Free World

NEW YORK, Sept. 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Just Rights for Children (JRC), a global civil society network using rule of law to end sexual crimes against children, convened global leaders in New York to strengthen enforcement and international cooperation towards the realization of Sustainable Development Goal 5.3. The high-level side event "Creating Child Marriage Free World: Building case for Prevention, Protection and Prosecution" in New York showcased best practices, centred survivor voices, and reinforced international commitment to eliminate child, early, and forced marriage by 2030.

With five years to go until the deadline to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals, JRC's founder, Bhuwan Ribhu, launched an appeal to Head of States, governments, civil society leaders and jurists to come together to act on the worsening situation for the world's most marginalized children, especially on the issue of child marriage.

"Child marriage, abuse, and violence are not just injustices: they are crimes," said Bhuwan Ribhu, founder of Just Rights for Children. "The end of child marriage is not only possible but eminent. By coming together as a global community, we can help ensure that child marriage and abuse are fully prosecuted and prevented, not only by legal systems but by society as a whole."

Just Rights for Children organized the high-level UNGA side event along with the Office of H.E. Dr. Fatima Maada Bio, First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone and President of OAFLAD, the Permanent Mission of Sierra Leone and the Government of Kenya, in partnership with the World Jurist Association and Jurists for Children Worldwide. The convening also included the global launch of the child free marriage campaign to create the largest global civil society network to end child marriage.

"This high-level dialogue is the result of a unified call from leaders across continents who recognize that child marriage, abuse, and violence are not just injustices: they are crimes," said Bhuwan Ribhu. "Childhood marriages are a civil society issue, an education issue, a government issue, and an economic issue."

At the event, JRC presented H.E. Dr. Fatima Maada Bio with the first Champions of Change Award for her leadership and efforts to end child marriage. Her work was instrumental in the passage of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act of 2024, a landmark law that bans marriage for anyone under the age of 18, with no exceptions.

"I do not accept this award for myself alone. I accept it on behalf of our people, my sisters and brothers in Sierra Leone, who have been working on this difficult journey with me," said H.E. Dr. Fatima Maada Bio. "It belongs to every community leader, every teacher, every young activist, every parent who has dared to believe that girls deserve better. It belongs to all of us who believe that every child deserves a childhood free from fear, from abuse, and full of possibilities."

Featured speakers at the event held on the margins of the 80^th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations included:

• H.E. Dr. Fatima Maada Bio, First Lady, Republic of Sierra Leone
• Dr. Najat Maalla M'jid, United Nations Special Representative to the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children
• Ms. Carren Ageng'o, Principal Secretary, Children Services, Ministry for Gender, Culture and Children Services, Government of Kenya
• Dr. Fatima Akilu, Executive Director, Neem Foundation
• Mr. Åsmund Aukrust, Minister of International Development, Government of Norway
• Mr. Javier Cremades, President, World Jurist Association
• Sir Christopher Hohn, Founder and CEO, The Children's Investment Fund Management
• Ms. Kerry Kennedy, President, RFK Human Rights
• Dr. Kirsi Madi, Deputy Executive Director, UN Women
• Ms. Isabelle Rome, Ambassador-at-Large for Human Rights, Government of France

Quotes from other speakers

Survivor – Smantha, Zimbabwe

"At 17, my childhood ended. I was thrust into a world I wasn't ready for. A child marriage. When we talk about this issue, we often speak of physical harm. But the deepest wounds are the ones that take the loaner to you, are the ones you cannot see, the physical trauma. Imagine being told you are not loved. Imagine being beaten, criticized, making you feel you are worthless every single day. The mental impact is devastating. For me, the lifeline was psychological support and access to education, counseling to understand that shame was not meant to care. It helped me to heal my wound."

Dr. Najat Maalla M'jid, United Nations Special Representative to the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children

"Child marriage is prohibited in many treaty bodies and regional conventions, and many countries have adopted domestic law banning it. But still, child marriage remains a global problem. One in five girls worldwide are married in childhood. And every three seconds, a girl gets married. The consequences are devastating, including deaths, early pregnancy complications, school dropouts, sexual and domestic abuse, and mental health issues, among others. Addressing child marriage requires an approach that addresses the complex and interlinked factors including poverty, lack of women economic empowerment, climate conflicts, and humanitarian crisis that increase child marriage rates in times of insecurity."

Ms. Carren Ageng'o, Principal Secretary, Children Services, Ministry for Gender, Culture and Children Services, Government of Kenya

"JRC has brought together champions who are committed to ending child sexual abuse, violence, and harmful practices, especially child marriage. Child marriage is a grave violation of girls' human rights that threatens the future of millions of girls worldwide. Our youthful demographic in Kenya, highlights the need of sustaining national and county investments, especially in programs targeting children, youth and women."

Ms. Isabelle Rome, Ambassador-at-Large for Human Rights, Government of France

"Ending child marriage is a public health issue, a justice and equality issue as girls around the world are being enslaved for a marriage but haven't consented too. As a former judge and minister, I appreciate that JRC is focused on prevention, protection, and prosecution. Last year, at the Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children in Bogotá, France pledged a comprehensive set of actions to protect children from violence and online exploitation. These efforts aim to reinforce legal and social protection for children while equipping professionals and families with the tools to respond effectively."

About Just Rights for Children International

Just Rights for Children is creating the world's largest civil society network to ensure the law works to advance the protection, prevention, and prosecution of crimes against children—with a focus on eradicating child marriage, child trafficking, and child sexual abuse. In India, from April 2023 to Sep 2025, JRC's network partners have:

• Prevented or stopped over 390,000 child marriages through intervention, legal action, and community mobilization.
• Rescued more than 105,000 children from trafficking and forced labor; and filed over 70,000 cases against perpetrators.
• Shared intelligence in 73,000 cybercrime-linked child sexual abuse cases.