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Teen changemaker to lead U.P. child rights body on Girl Child Day
Chanchal hopes to learn from the Chairperson, Dr Shuchita Chaturvedi, on how the commission helps children across the state.
Sixteen-year-old Chanchal Kumari, one of seven daughters of a farmer from Chandauli, is set to take over as Chairperson of the UP State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (UPSCPCR) on Thursday, just before International Girl Child Day on October 11. Known for her efforts in eradicating child marriage in her village, Chanchal is thrilled to visit Lucknow for the first time.
This takeover is part of an annual tradition observed by the UPSCPCR, where a young girl from a UP village, recognised as a changemaker, is given the honour of holding the chairperson’s seat and interacting with the officials, as a token of recognition.
Chanchal hopes to learn from the Chairperson, Dr Shuchita Chaturvedi, on how the commission helps children across the state. “I want to learn so that I can apply the same things in my village and help the young girls and boys here who are victims of child marriage or child labor,” she said.
Chanchal is the first in her family to study beyond Class 8 and lives with her four younger sisters, mother, and father in Preetpur village, Chandauli. Her three older sisters are already married, the eldest being only 25. When it was Chanchal’s turn to marry, she refused her parents’ efforts, insisting on continuing her education.
Her family was already struggling financially after her father became unwell in 2023 and was unable to work or pay her school fees. Believing she was old enough, her family arranged her marriage. “If I stop my education now, I will be closing all doors of success for myself. I told my parents I will not even think of marrying before I finish school,” Chanchal recalled, noting that she even involved school authorities and district-level officers from UPSCPCR to counsel her parents.
Her determination to continue her education and courage to call off her marriage led her school to waive her Class 10 fees, which she will complete this year. Meanwhile, Chanchal has also organised a group of 25 young girls who work with the district UPSCPCR team to raise awareness about child marriage and personally counsel the parents of girls on the verge of being married off as minors.
These challenges have shaped Chanchal’s simple yet powerful dream: “I want to study so that I can educate young girls and teach them the importance of education. I want to return to my village and others like mine to create opportunities for girls to study,” said the young changemaker.
