In Hindi, Veerni means heroine or woman of strength. The Veerni Project is guided by the core belief that when women are healthy and educated, they will have the strength to create positive changes in their lives as well as in their communities and gain economic independence.

Around 15 million people live in western Rajasthan. 79% of these inhabitants live in small rural villages which are extremely underdeveloped. Many villages lack electricity, clean water, proper roads, schools and medical care. Agriculture and stockbreeding are the principal activities but are monsoon dependent. Droughts manifest in the form of crop failure, un-replenished ground and surface water and a scarcity of fodder, resulting in a loss of livestock. Malnutrition is still widespread, and it is estimated that 47% of Indian children are malnourished.

While child marriages have been illegal for many years, they still take place on a regular basis. In India, and especially in rural Rajasthan, there is still a profound bias against girls, which has led to one of the world's lowest women to men ratio: 927 for every 1000 men.

In the next 10 years, an estimated 100 million girls will be married before they turn 18. On Friday, October 12, in an hour-long special broadcast, NOW took an unprecedented inside look at a global custom that devastates girls' lives and holds back communities.


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