Roshni Perween
Child Marriage Prevention
About
Roshni Perween is a children’s rights advocate from Bihar state, one of India’s poorest regions. She was forcefully married at 13, survived marital rape, and became a mother at 14. After breaking out of her in-laws’ house, she decided to dedicate her life to helping girls escape child marriage, a practice that affects nearly 1 in 4 women in her country.
Whilst her escape was initially rejected by her community, today Roshni is seen as a champion for children’s rights and is regularly sought after by community members and government departments.
Work
Roshni takes a multi-pronged approach to reducing the number of child marriage cases. She integrates children into regular education systems; organizes groups of child champions who know to alert authorities when a girl is missing school; and develops awareness and advocacy campaigns that call for the ban of child marriages in collaboration with local authorities and community leaders. In areas where child marriage is more prevalent, Roshni supports victims to reclaim their rights and access sustainable livelihoods so that they’re less at-risk.