According to the Supreme Court of India, a man is now guilty of rape when he has sex with his underage wife. This court judgment was a milestone in the fight for the rights of millions of Indian girls who are victims of child marriage.
Through its partner organisations, Terre des Hommes directly contributed to the successful lobbying that culminated in this decision. Terre des Hommes was one of the signatories to an online campaign aimed at ensuring that the Supreme Court would take this case seriously. All nine partners involved in the child abuse program in India worked together to achieve this.
“The favourable outcome is a result of the effective cooperation of several civil society organisations. We regard the decision as a step forward for India as the decision will reduce the number of child marriages. From now on, child brides will be more capable of standing up for their rights. Through awareness-raising campaigns, we will ensure that local communities are informed on this court ruling.”
In Uganda, Terre des Hommes' partners work in the Moroto district to combat child labour in small-scale gold mines.
Only when these local leaders are convinced of the seriousness of the situation, will they take action. With that in mind, a presentation was made with photographs of child labour in the mines in the most miserable circumstances. These images illustrated the terrible conditions which children endure while doing this dangerous work. In seven months, seven children died as a result of collapsing mine shafts. Many others were seriously injured or developed illnesses from mine work. It proved to be an eye-opener for the local authorities. After an intense discussion, local leaders accepted responsibility and pledged to fix the situation.
In the Rupa sub-district, a bylaw was adopted that underlines the national legal ban on child labour in the mines, with financial penalties for mine operators who still had child labourers working. Together with the Terre des Hommes' partners, this bylaw is maintained by regular inspection of the gold mines.