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| An awareness-raising campaign on the prevention of child marriage and consanguineous marriage in mountainous communes of Nghe An province__Photo: nhandan.vn |
Child marriage remains a concern in several mountainous communes of the central province of Nghe An. Besides raising legal concerns and harming reproductive and child health, child marriage is also one of the causes of poverty and underdevelopment. Therefore, local authorities are increasing awareness campaigns and working together to end the practice.
In Na Ngoi, a border commune more than 200 kilometres from the provincial centre, local authorities have dealt with 29 child marriage cases since July 2025.
According to Ha Ba Thai, Chairman of the commune-level People’s Committee, some families circumvent marriage regulations by holding traditional ceremonies and allowing underage couples to live together without registering their marriages at competent authorities. Some girls marry as young as 14 or 15.
Similar problems exist in Tri Le commune, where young couples often leave their villages to seek jobs elsewhere, leaving their children in the care of grandparents. Many marriages subsequently break down, placing additional burdens on older family members.
Meanwhile, Huoi Tu commune has recorded 13 child marriage cases since July 2025, despite regular awareness campaigns conducted by local authorities, schools and mass organisations.
Realities show that child marriage is particularly prevalent in remote and mountainous communities facing socio-economic difficulties, where access to education, healthcare, legal services and information remains limited. At the same time, longstanding customs continue to influence attitudes towards marriage. The practice poses serious risks to physical and mental health and future of adolescents, particularly girls.
According to the provincial authorities’ figures, Nghe An recorded 2,094 child marriage cases over the past decade, including 309 in 2021, 295 in 2022 and 95 in 2025.
At Tay Son primary and lower secondary boarding school for ethnic minority pupils, Principal Lau Ba Sua said some pupils whose parents earn a living in places far from home drop out after the Lunar New Year holiday to marry.
According to Nguyen Manh Hung from the provincial Department of Ethnic and Religious Affairs, some communities, particularly in ethnic minority and mountainous areas, still believe that early marriage helps young people settle down or provides families with additional labour. However, the practice constitutes a barrier to individual development and broader social progress.
To tackle the problem, the department is working with the province’s Women’s Union, Youth Union, Border Guard and Department of Education and Training to expand community awareness campaigns.
Hoang Thi Thu Hien, Chairwoman of the provincial Women’s Union, stressed the importance of education, life skills and parental supervision, particularly as young people gain greater access to social media.
She also called for stepping up vocational training and employment creation activities to help young people in mountainous areas in career orientation.
The Women’s Union also plans to expand community communication groups, legal education clubs and child marriage prevention programmes, while working with schools to identify children at risk and take intervention measures before underage marriages take place.- (VLLF)
