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KATHMANDU, 8 October 2026 – Nepal has made significant progress in reducing child marriage over the past decade, but the country remains off track to meet its commitment to eliminate the harmful practice by 2030, according to a new UNICEF advocacy brief, Ending Child Marriage in Nepal: A Decade of Data and a Call to Action.

The release of the advocacy brief coincides with the International Day of the Girl Child, observed annually on 11 October. This year's global theme, "End child marriage and invest in girls' rights," highlights the urgent need to accelerate efforts to end child marriage and ensure girls have the opportunity to learn, thrive and shape their own futures.

Based on the findings of the latest Nepal Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (NMICS) 2024-25 as well as an analysis of data from the 2014 and 2019 surveys, the brief tracks a decade of progress in addressing child marriage in Nepal and finds that the proportion of women aged 20-24 who were married before the age of 18 fell from 37 per cent in 2014 to 28 per cent in 2024-25. Child marriage before age 15 was cut in half, falling from 10 per cent to 5 per cent over the same period.

The brief highlights that Nepal's progress is real and measurable. More girls are staying in school, the median age at first marriage has increased from 17 years in 2001 to 19.6 years in 2024-25, and marriage before age 15 is becoming less common.

However, gains have not been shared equally. Poverty remains the strongest predictor of child marriage, with girls from the poorest households now 4.4 times more likely to marry before age 18 than girls from the richest households. Rates of child marriages among the poorest households have changed little in recent years, while wealthier groups have seen much faster progress. Climate-related disasters, including the recent floods in Nepal, can further increase the risk of child marriage and other forms of violence against children by disrupting education, straining household incomes, increasing protection risks and pushing vulnerable families towards harmful coping mechanisms.

"These findings show that change is possible and that Nepal has made important progress in reducing child marriage," said Ms Alice Akunga, UNICEF Representative to Nepal. "But progress is not happening quickly enough, and it is not reaching all girls equally. Far too many girls, particularly those from the poorest and most marginalized communities, continue to face the risk of child marriage. Ending child marriage is one of the smartest investments Nepal can make for its future, helping girls stay in school, improve their health and contribute fully to their communities and the nation's development."

The brief also underscores the powerful role of education in preventing child marriage. Girls who complete secondary education face a substantially lower risk of marrying before 18, yet those most at risk are often the same girls most likely to leave school early due to poverty and other barriers.

"Every girl should have the chance to finish school, follow her dreams and decide for herself what her future looks like," said Ms Swarnima Kadel, UNICEF Nepal Youth Advocate for Adolescent Girls' Empowerment. "As a teenager, I know how important these years are for learning, making friends, building confidence and thinking about what we want to do in life. When girls are married too young, many of those opportunities can be taken away. We need families, communities and leaders to support girls to stay in school and believe in what they can achieve.”

The advocacy brief also calls for urgent and targeted action to accelerate progress, including prioritizing support for girls from the poorest households, keeping girls in school through adolescence, strengthening child protection systems, addressing harmful social norms and increasing investment in proven interventions that empower girls and support families.

With just four years remaining to achieve Sustainable Development Goal Target 5.3, UNICEF is urging government, development partners, civil society, communities, children, adolescents and youth to work together to ensure every girl can grow up free from child marriage and reach her full potential.

By Ajawee Paudyal

KATHMANDU — As Nepal prepares for the upcoming Dashain, Tihar, and Chhath festivals, advance bookings for long-distance public transport tickets from Kathmandu to destinations across the country will open on Friday, government officials said.

More than one million people are expected to leave the Kathmandu Valley for the Dashain festival alone.

The advance booking system aims to ease purchasing difficulties, curb black marketing, and reduce long queues at ticket counters. To facilitate smooth travel, the government will also issue special route permits allowing public vehicles to operate on non-standard routes nationwide throughout the festival period.

On regular days, roughly 700 public vehicles leave Kathmandu for destinations outside the valley. During the peak festival season, however, that figure rises to between 1,000 and 2,200 vehicles daily, depending on passenger demand. Already, more than 100,000 people have left the valley over the past five days.

Passengers can purchase tickets online via transport companies’ mobile applications, digital wallets, and official websites, or in person at physical ticket counters.

To minimize the risk of road accidents, authorities will strictly enforce a rule requiring two drivers on long-distance routes. Gautam confirmed that two drivers will be mandatory for any journey covering more than 300 kilometers. Additionally, ticket-counter staff must wear official identification cards and designated uniforms while on duty. Operators are also required to maintain comprehensive passenger logs, including

MELBOURNE: Australia has announced an additional AUD 15 million in assistance to Nepal for flood relief and early recovery efforts, taking its total recent emergency support to AUD 26 million.

The announcement was made during bilateral talks between Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal and Australian Foreign Minister Senator Penny Wong in Melbourne on Thursday.

During the meeting, the two foreign ministers reviewed the overall state of Nepal-Australia relations and discussed a wide range of issues of mutual interest, according to Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Wong expressed condolences to the families and communities affected by the recent devastating floods in Nepal and reaffirmed Australia’s support for Nepal’s recovery and reconstruction efforts. Australia had previously committed AUD 11 million for emergency response operations.

Khanal thanked the Australian government and people for their humanitarian assistance and said the support reflected the longstanding goodwill between the two countries.

Climate change and disaster resilience were also discussed during the meeting. Khanal urged Australia to use its international leadership, including its upcoming co-presidency of COP31, to draw attention to the disproportionate impact of climate change on Nepal’s fragile Himalayan ecosystem.

He also called for stronger bilateral cooperation in climate adaptation, early warning systems, disaster preparedness and climate-resilient infrastructure.

The two sides discussed expanding educational cooperation, including the possibility of establishing Australian-accredited technical and vocational education and training institutions in Nepal. Khanal also raised issues concerning Nepali students in Australia and sought favourable consideration for them under recent student visa policy changes.

Trade and foreign direct investment, technology transfer, renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, tourism, labour mobility and direct air connectivity between Nepal and Australia were among the other issues discussed.

Wong reaffirmed Australia’s commitment to strengthening its partnership with Nepal and welcomed continued cooperation in priority areas.

The two ministers agreed to maintain regular high-level exchanges and work toward translating the understandings reached during the meeting into concrete outcomes for the two countries. 

Gagan Kumar Thapa is set to become the president of the Nepali Congress for the next four years. Thapa, who previously took the helm of the party following a general convention in the wake of the Gen Z movement, is expected to be formally elected during the party’s ongoing regular general convention. Kishor Singh Rathaur, a close ally of Sher Bahadur Deuba, initially filed a candidacy for party president but subsequently withdrew. While Shyam Krishna Khadki is also contesting against Deuba, Thapa is widely anticipated to secure the presidency given his strong command over the party.

The Nepali Congress currently serves as Nepal’s main opposition party. The party is divided into three major factions, led by Thapa, Sher Bahadur Deuba, and Shekhar Koirala. Although this internal split could impact performance in upcoming elections, Thapa’s supporters emphasize a long-term strategy centered on bringing Gen Z youth into the party fold to compete with the ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party. The upcoming local elections will serve as the first major test for Thapa’s leadership.