How Football is Helping Girls Fight Against Forced Marriage

When Nisha Vaishnav was 14, she noticed strangers photographing her during football practice. She soon discovered they were a family seeking a wife for their son. Despite her mother's encouragement, Nisha refused to show respect to the visitors, making it clear she was too young for marriage and determined to pursue her football dreams.

In India, child marriage remains widespread despite being illegal for girls under 18. According to Unicef, approximately 25% of Indian women were married before reaching legal age, with rates even higher in Rajasthan. Nisha and her sister Munna discovered football through Football for Freedom, a program helping girls improve their lives through sports.

The sisters faced significant resistance in their conservative village. Munna led battles for permission to wear shorts instead of traditional long tunics, enduring criticism from village women. However, their persistence paid off. Nisha excelled rapidly, reaching the Rajasthan state team in 2024. She also cut her hair short, defying village expectations.

Football for Freedom, founded in 2016, has trained about 800 girls across 13 villages. The program emphasizes that excelling at football can lead to government jobs reserved for athletes, offering girls financial independence and freedom from early marriage.