Child Marriage: Even in 2025, child marriage remains one of the biggest human rights challenges worldwide. Although many countries have taken strict legal and social steps to end the practice, millions of children are still married before the age of 18. Let us know which is the country where child marriages take place the most in the world.

Where in the world do most child marriages take place?

According to the new data of 2025, the highest number of child marriages take place in Niger. About 76% of girls in Niger get married before the age of 18 and about 28% get married before the age of 15. The situation is even more worrying in some places like Maradi. The rate of child marriage here has reached 89%. The legal framework here is behind this crisis. Here the minimum age of marriage for boys is 18 years and the legal age of marriage for girls is only 15 years.

Why are there so many child marriages here?

Extreme poverty plays a large role in maintaining child marriage in Niger and other African countries like it. Families struggling to make ends meet often see early marriage as a way to reduce financial burdens or receive dowry-related benefits. Limited access to education is exacerbating this problem. Because girls who drop out of school are more likely to get married early.

Where else do child marriages take place except Niger?

After Niger, countries like the Central African Republic, Chad and Mali have some of the highest rates of child marriage in the world. Rates have been reported to be around 68% in the Central African Republic, 67% in Chad and 54% in Mali.

What is the situation in India?

Whereas Niger is at the forefront in terms of percentage, India has a different and equally disturbing record. Due to such a large population, India has the highest number of child brides in the world. By 2025, an estimated 22.24 crore women in India were married before the age of 18. In simple words, one out of every three child brides across the world lives in India.

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Foot Binding: Foot binding is one of the most painful and controversial traditions in Chinese history. For almost a thousand years, millions of women were forced to undergo this practice in the name of beauty, status and marriage prospects. Let us know what was involved in this practice and why China banned it.

After all, what was foot binding?

Foot binding was a traditional practice in which girls between the ages of 4 and 9 were tightly bound with strips of cloth to prevent the natural growth of their feet. This process was started when the bones were still soft. The toes were turned inwards towards the sole and were often deliberately broken. After this the leg was tied tightly so that it would not grow normally.

With time the arch of the foot was pushed upward. This would have created a seriously different shape. The aim was to make the leg as short as possible. Ideally three to four inches in length. These were romantically called lotus feet. Its pain did not last for weeks or months but for the whole life.

Why were short legs considered the norm?

In traditional Chinese society, small feet were considered a symbol of female beauty. A woman with lotus feet was considered beautiful, delicate and obedient. This practice was especially prevalent in upper class families where women were not expected to do physical labour. It was also directly related to marriage. Girls with bound feet were considered a good bride as this practice indicated discipline, family honor and high social status.

physical and psychological harm

The health consequences of foot binding were serious. Women had to face chronic pain, difficulty walking, frequent infections and, in severe cases, gangrene. Many women became disabled and started having trouble walking without any help. By the end of the 19th century, people’s attitude towards the practice of tying feet started changing. Chinese reformers, intellectuals and social workers began to criticize this practice.

Official ban and end of the practice

The first formal provision on foot binding was imposed in 1912. This happened after the fall of the Qing dynasty and after that the Republic of China was established. The new government completely outlawed this practice and encouraged women to uncover their legs. This practice was completely abolished after 1949 and this happened after the Communist government came to power.

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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not including women journalists in the press conference organized by Afghanistan Foreign Minister Aamir Khan Muttaki in Delhi on Friday (October 10). Rahul said that when the Prime Minister remains silent on such discrimination, it gives a message of weakness and insensitivity towards the women of the entire country.

Rahul Gandhi wrote on Twitter, “Modi ji, when you allow women journalists to be thrown out of any public event, you are telling every woman in the country that you are weak in standing up for them. In our country, women have the right to equal participation in every field. Your silence on such discrimination exposes the hollowness of your slogans of ‘women power’.”

Mr. Modi, when you allow the exclusion of women journalists from a public forum, you are telling every woman in India that you are too weak to stand up for them.

In our country, women have the right to equal participation in every space. Your silence in the face of such… https://t.co/FyaxxCteK6

—Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 11, 2025

What did the Foreign Ministry say?

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has clarified that the Ministry had no interference or role in the press conference organized by the Afghan Foreign Minister in Delhi on October 10. The ministry also said that it was not MEA’s decision to not include women journalists in this press interaction.

Opposition raised questions

Political turmoil in the country intensified after the news of women journalists not being included in the press conference of the Afghan Foreign Minister. Former Home Minister P. Chidambaram said that when women journalists were kept out, male journalists should have immediately staged a walkout in protest. Chidambaram wrote on

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi as to why the government allowed this humiliating situation. He wrote, “Prime Minister Modi ji, please clarify why women journalists were removed from the Taliban minister’s press conference? Are your claims of women’s rights just election slogans?”

TMC MP Mahua Moitra called it an “insult to every Indian woman” and said, “The government has insulted every woman in the country by allowing the Taliban minister to keep out women journalists. This is a shameful and spineless move.”

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The murder of National Tennis Player 25 -year -old Radhika Yadav has shook the entire country. It is alleged that his father Deepak Yadav (49) shot four bullets and killed him. The accused father himself told the police that he used to get a taunt that he had won on the daughter’s earnings.

Now Radhika’s close friend Himanshika Singh Rajput has released a passionate video on social media. In this video, Himanshika has lashed out those trolls, who are ‘right’ to kill this murder.

What did Himanshika say in the video?

Himanshika said that he had posted two videos about Radhika, but in the comment section, “salute to the father”, “good”, “daughter was false, your family members are shameless, otherwise you should also punish you like hateful comments like” According to the Times of India, Himanshika wrote, “This world is not just of men. Women are fighting, fighting and will continue to fight.”

He said that this is the time when men should explain to men how to respect women. It is not enough to teach daughters to ‘stay safe’ only, sons will also have to teach how to treat women.

Radhika’s status and family Attitude

Himanshika claimed that Radhika was completely broken 10 days before her death. He told his family that he is now ready to live according to his words. Radhika loved making reels and videos, but her family did not like it. He is called many times- “What will people say?”. He told that the Yadav family was quite conservative and daughters were imposed restrictions like curfew.

Himanshika raised questions on the mental state of Radhika’s father

Himanshika said that Radhika’s father was “family and mentally unstable” for some time. He often saw him walking in the house without any emotion. He alleged that the fear of society and the feeling of insecurity related to the daughter’s freedom gave birth to this tragedy.