At 15: Durga and Babita
In western Nepal, Durga’s unrealized aspirations find new life in her daughter Babita, who is determined to pursue education and a future free from the constraints her mother faced
Surkhet, Nepal: Durga was 15 years old when she got married.
Now living in Surkhet District in western Nepal, the 30-something recalls how child marriage had seemed like nothing out of the ordinary back in the day.
“People simply did not think of it as ‘early’ marriage,” she says. “People believed that daughters should waste no time in starting their own families.”
Still, Durga – who was in the eighth grade at the time she got married – had hoped she could at least continue studying even after marriage. And for two years, she did, managing to finish the 10th grade. But when she became pregnant with her first child, she had little choice but to drop out.
With that, Durga’s dreams of studying and finding a job – “maybe something in the police force, or a small position in an organization” – came to an abrupt end.
Today, however, those dreams are seeing a revival through daughter Babita, who is now 15 – the same age Durga was when she got married.
Similar to her mother all those years ago, Babita too wants to join the police force after she completes her education.
UNICEF Nepal/2025/MMalla
“You hear so many cases of sexual violence against girls and women, I want to stop that… I want to do something for the women in my country."
For Durga, seeing Babita so determined to fulfill their shared dream is proof of the changed times and the possibilities now unlocked in the lives of girls.
She reflects on how, during her school days, she and her friends studied by candlelight or lanterns — hardships her children no longer face.
More importantly, Babita has a strong support system, with Durga herself leading the charge.
“The pain that I went through as a young girl, I hope my daughter doesn’t experience even one per cent of that,” Durga says. “For that, I’ve been giving her my full support.”
Another source of support for Babita, according to Durga, has been the Rupantaran life skills sessions she has been attending, implemented under the joint European Union-United Nations Empowered Women, Prosperous Nepal (#EWPN) programme.
Developed by UNICEF and UNFPA in collaboration with the Government of Nepal, Rupantaran equips adolescents aged 10 to 19 with the skills and knowledge to navigate society and plan for their futures.
Babita has been participating in the sessions for over seven months, and her mother has noticed significant changes.
UNICEF Nepal/2025/MMalla
“She’s a lot more mindful about spending money, she knows more about the dangers of peer pressure, and she understands that adolescence is a sensitive time,” Durga says.
Rupantaran has also reinforced Babita’s resolve to avoid child marriage and speak out against it. She recounts a recent incident where she tried to stop a friend’s marriage. While her efforts weren’t successful, Babita remains determined not to follow the same path.
“Getting married too young can invite a lot of problems in your life,” she says. “I don’t want that.”
On this point, Durga could not agree enough.
“I don’t want her to get married as young as I did or face the same difficulties I did,” she says. “I hope she has the kind of life she envisions for herself.”
While Babita aspires to carve out a life different from her mother’s, she deeply admires Durga’s work ethic. “She wakes up early in the morning, prepares food, goes to the shop, works there all day, and still makes time to help me with anything I need,” Babita says. “She encourages me to study.”
Despite the challenges Durga endured, Babita hopes to inherit her mother’s strength and determination.
“I want to be a hard worker like her. I want to be able to stand on my own feet,” says Babita.
