Positive changes in the work of preventing and combating child marriage

With the efforts of the Party Committee, government and consensus of the people, Tram Tau commune is gradually eliminating bad customs, moving towards building a new, more civilized and progressive life.

Tram Tau commune was established after merging 4 communes: Tram Tau, Pa Hu, Pa Lau, Tuc Dan before, with more than 11,500 people, of which Mong people account for more than 95%.

Previously, child marriage was common in many villages, in some places accounting for 17-20% of married couples.

The main reasons are long-standing customs, limited legal awareness and difficult economic conditions.

Child marriage not only causes many children to drop out of school, but also affects reproductive health, especially for girls who are too young. Many cases have complications during childbirth, leading to poverty and lack of education for their children, causing the vicious cycle of poverty and child marriage to continue for many generations.

Faced with this situation, the Party Committee and the commune government have identified child marriage prevention as a key task in social development. In recent years, the commune has synchronously deployed many propaganda solutions suitable to the characteristics of the highlands.

The loudspeaker system, village meetings, bilingual leaflets, billboards and posters were fully utilized. In each village, the responsible officials went directly to each household to mobilize and explain to the people so that they could understand the harmful effects of early marriage and the provisions of the law.

Along with that, mass organizations such as the Youth Union, Women's Union, and Farmers' Association regularly coordinate to organize thematic activities, seminars, and propaganda film screenings.

The Commune Women's Union also coordinated with the Youth Union to establish the "No early marriage and incestuous marriage" Club in many villages such as Tau Tren, Tau Duoi, Mo Nhang, Km14+17. These meetings are not only a place to disseminate the law but also help people share experiences, express their thoughts and change their perceptions together.

Especially in the highlands, the words of village elders and village chiefs have special weight. Understanding that, Tram Tau commune has promoted the role of prestigious people in the community.

Mr. Hang A Vu - a prestigious person in Pa Lau village, shared: "In the village, there are many households with children aged 13 - 16. We and the village cadres regularly go to each house to propagate and explain to the people so that they can gradually change. Now young people are more willing to study and work, and no longer drop out of school to get married early like before."

This change is evident in each village. In Giao Lau, Hang Tay or Pa Lau villages, more and more students after graduating from high school continue to study at colleges and universities. Typically, Giang A Chua in Giao Lau village is currently studying at the Forestry University; Giang A Sung in Hang Tay village and Giang Son Ha in Pa Lau village are studying at Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry...

Giang Son Ha shared: “Seeing my brothers and sisters getting married early is very difficult. I decided to continue my education and have a stable job before thinking about starting a family.”

“In the past, when a girl was only 14 or 15 years old, her family would arrange for her to get married. Now it’s different. We have been informed by the cadres and understand that getting married early is a disadvantage for our children,” said Ms. Ly Thi Song, from Hang Tau village.

According to Mr. Giang A De - Vice Chairman of Tram Tau Commune People's Committee, the work of preventing and combating child marriage is identified by the commune as a long-term task, requiring the participation of the entire political system.

The commune has developed a specific plan, assigned each cadre and each organization to be in charge of each village; integrated legal propaganda content into socio-economic development programs, community activities, and schools. Thanks to that, people's awareness, especially the youth, has changed a lot.

“In the past, early marriage was considered normal, but now more and more people understand the harmful effects of early marriage on health, education and future,” Mr. De shared.

Schools in the area also actively coordinate propaganda and education on sex and reproductive health for adolescents. Many teachers consider mobilizing students not to drop out of school and not to marry early a task closely related to teaching. Propaganda work has been innovated in both form and content.

In addition to village meetings, the commune also uses social networks such as Facebook and Zalo to post articles, short videos, and propaganda images. Young members become active, friendly "propagandists", helping information spread faster and more effectively.

Thanks to the persistence and synchronization in propaganda and mobilization, the situation of child marriage in Tram Tau has decreased significantly. If before, there was a village with a child marriage rate of up to 20%, now it has decreased significantly. In the first 9 months of 2025, the commune has not recorded any cases of child marriage or incestuous marriage.

Ms. Ly Thi Cau - Vice President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee, President of the Commune Women's Union said: "The most important thing is to change awareness. When girls understand that further education and a stable career are better than getting married early. Parents also gradually understand and do not force their children to get married early like before."

According to the commune leaders, in the coming time, the locality will further promote propaganda work, flexibly, closely to each target; combine legal propaganda with socio-economic development; promote the role of prestigious people and union cadres; at the same time create conditions for studying and stable employment for young people. When life improves, early marriage will gradually be eliminated.

We believe that today's young Mong generation will be the pioneering force in building a civilized and progressive life; knowing how to preserve good traditional identity, while eliminating customs that are no longer suitable.

Vice Chairman of Giang A De Commune People's Committee

In the Tram Tau highlands today, the sound of loudspeakers has gradually replaced the sound of the flute calling for early marriages. On the concrete roads leading to the commune, more children go to school, their eyes are clear and cheerful. There is still a long way to go, but clearly, Tram Tau is on the right track - towards a future without child marriage, building a civilized, happy and sustainable life.

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/chuyen-bien-tich-cuc-trong-cong-tac-phong-chong-tao-hon-post884660.html