Indigenous peoples of Nepal constitute more than one third of the total population, yet
they experience marginalization and inequalities in relation to health, education and
political participation. Early marriage is one of the traditional practices of Nepali
indigenous communities contributing to poverty and the poor health of young people. In
some indigenous communities, more than two third of young girls are married before the
age of 15 years. The aim of the study was to investigate young people’s participation in
the early marriage and early pregnancy prevention (EMEP) project in the highly
marginalized Thami indigenous community. The EMEP has been implemented since
2009 with young people as a key stakeholder. Using participatory action research (PAR)
the study asked a group of Thami young men and women about their experiences of
participating in the project and it explored their recommendations for enhanced
participation in future. PAR is a research methodology which involves collaboration with
representatives of the population under investigation, with the goal of intervention into a
problem.