Thirty child marriages took place in one municipality in Sarlahi District during the lockdown earlier this year. This startling fact highlights how girls are at particular risk as the COVID-19 crisis impacts Nepal’s economy.  

The legal marriage age in Nepal is 20. Globally, girls who marry before 18 are considered child brides, yet close to 40% girls under the age of 18 are married in Nepal, making the country one of the worst examples in Asia.
 
“There were more child marriages than usual in Sarlahi, Dailekh and Surkhet districts during the lockdown,” says Samita Pradhan of the Women’s Reproductive Rights Programme at the Centre for Agro-ecology and Development (CAED). “I think people are following their culture — marry your daughters at an early age because they are a burden.”

https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-child-marriages-spike-during-pandemic/