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{{short description|Indian rehabilitation psychologist}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Kriti Bharti
| birth_name = Kriti Chopra
| birth_date = August 19, 1987
| birth_place = [[Jodhpur]], [[Rajasthan]]
| alma_mater = [[Jai Narain Vyas University]]
| organization = Saarthi Trust
| known_for = Child marriage activism
}}

''' Kriti Bharti''' (born August 19, 1987) is an Indian [[Rehabilitation psychology|rehabilitation psychologist]] and children's rights activist.<ref name="Friday Mag 50 Death Threats">{{cite news |last1=Roberts |first1=Helen |title='I've had over 50 death threats…but I won't stop saving child brides' |url=https://fridaymagazine.ae/life-culture/-i-ve-had-over-50-death-threats-but-i-won-t-stop-saving-child-bride-1.1252439 |access-date=7 September 2020 |work=fridaymagazine.ae |publisher=GN Publishing |date=8 November 2013 |language=en |archive-date=27 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027212139/https://fridaymagazine.ae/life-culture/-i-ve-had-over-50-death-threats-but-i-won-t-stop-saving-child-bride-1.1252439 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Bharti made headlines as the first [[Annulment|annuller]] of [[child marriage in India]].<ref name="LA Times headlines global development">{{cite news |last1=BENGALI |first1=SHASHANK |title=Global Development: An Indian activist fights in court to help child brides and grooms win their lives back |url=https://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-india-child-marriage-20180618-story.html |access-date=7 September 2020 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=18 June 2018}}</ref>
She is the founder and director of Saarthi Trust, a non-profit organization that primarily rescues and ensures the recovery and welfare of child marriage victims.<ref name="Gilrs Not Brides Saarthi Trust">{{cite web |last1=Brides |first1=Girls Not |title=About Girls Not Brides |url=https://www.girlsnotbrides.org/about-girls-not-brides/ |website=Girls Not Brides |access-date=7 September 2020 |language=en}}</ref> Bharti's team has annulled more than 41 child marriages and prevented more than 1,400 from occurring.<ref name="Hindustan Times Rajasthan Court" />

==Early life and education==
Bharti was born on August 19, 1987, in [[Jodhpur]], [[Rajasthan]]. Bharti's father abandoned her pregnant mother, Indu Chopra.<ref name="Friday Mag 50 Death Threats" /> This was considered a disgrace in a conservative environment, and relatives demanded that Chopra [[Abortion|abort]] or remarry. Despite the pressure, Bharti's mother persisted and raised the child alone.<ref name="Medium Inter" /> Her mother also suffered medical complications during her pregnancy and Bharti was born prematurely at seven months.<ref name="OnManorama this woman battled">{{cite news |title=This woman battled personal odds to become crusader against child marriages |url=https://www.onmanorama.com/lifestyle/women/2018/10/09/woman-child-marriage-battle-crusader.html |access-date=7 September 2020 |work=OnManorama |publisher=Manorama Online |date=10 October 2018 |language=en}}</ref>

As a child, Bharti was physically and verbally tortured by relatives who considered her cursed. One went to the extent of giving her a slow poison at 10 years old, and Bharti managed to survive but she was bedridden and paralyzed. She went through several treatments from different hospitals, until she was able to recover two years later, attributing her healing to [[reiki]] therapies.<ref name="Gulf News battled odds childhood">{{cite news |title=Battling personal odds to champion the fight against child marriages |url=https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/india/battling-personal-odds-to-champion-the-fight-against-child-marriages-1.2287089 |access-date=7 September 2020 |work=gulfnews.com |publisher=GN Media |language=en}}</ref>

Upon her recovery, she changed her last name to "Bharti" (Daughter of India) in an attempt to free herself from the [[caste system]], religion and kin.<ref name="Medium Inter">{{cite news |last1=Sacheti |first1=Priyanka |title=Thanks To This Woman, There's Hope For Child Brides In Rajasthan |url=https://medium.com/the-establishment/thanks-to-this-woman-theres-hope-for-child-brides-in-rajasthan-d6a863b50a56 |access-date=7 September 2020 |work=Medium |issue=The Publisher |publisher=A Medium Corporation |date=1 October 2018 |language=en}}</ref>

Due to the paralysis, Bharti was unable to finish fourth grade. She managed to accelerate to 10th grade as she cleared her boards.<ref name="Icy Tales Dr.">{{cite news |last1=S. |first1=Navya |title=In Conversation with Dr. Kriti Bharti – India's First Child Marriage Annuler |url=https://www.icytales.com/kriti-bharti-india-first-child-marriage-annuler/ |access-date=7 September 2020 |work=www.icytales.com |publisher=Icy Media |date=19 June 2020}}</ref>

Bharti obtained a Doctorate in Psychology at the [[Jai Narain Vyas University]] in [[Jodhpur]].<ref name="Gulf News battled odds childhood" />

==NGOs==
At college, Bharti joined many NGOs and started counselling simultaneously. Her first case was a rape victim who was just 9 years old. Bharti thought that a temporary relief via counselling is ultimately pointless. The encounter prompted her to pursue.<ref name="Icy Tales Dr." />

Through the NGOs, Bharti was able to work with several street children that suffered from child labour, poverty and child marriage. After seven months, she noticed that a pressing issue among the homeless children is child marriage. Child marriage, although considered [[Child marriage in India|illegal]] in India, remained prevalent, especially in rural areas.<ref name="Friday Mag 50 Death Threats" /> Bharti's hometown, [[Rajasthan]], was considered the world's epicenter of child marriage.<ref name="CBN Indias Innocent CBN">{{cite news |last1=Thomas |first1=George |title=India's Innocent: Secret Weddings of Child Brides |url=https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2012/june/innocence-lost-indias-children-marrying-at-age-8 |access-date=7 September 2020 |work=CBN News |publisher=CBN News |date=12 June 2012 |language=en}}</ref>

A report of the [[UNICEF]] in 2009, titled ''State of the Worlds Children'', goes on further to say that 40 percent of the world's child marriages happen in India. The report also stated that 56 percent of the women surveyed in rural areas married before 18 years old.<ref name="Friday Mag 50 Death Threats" />

==Saarthi Trust==
As Bharti worked with NGOs, she noticed how they were just spreading awareness; while she believed it is essential, it is merely treating the problem at the surface level. Thus, in 2011, driven by her experience with children in NGOs, she established Saarthi Trust. Saarthi Trust works on grassroots level and ensures the rehabilitation and welfare of child marriage victims after rescue.<ref name="Icy Tales Dr." /> The organization provides education, [[vocational training]] and employment opportunities to ensure the independence of the victims thereafter.<ref name="Gilrs Not Brides Saarthi Trust" />

In 2012, Bharti made headlines on her first case, Laxmi Sargara. She was the first woman in India to have her child marriage nullified.<ref name="Friday Mag 50 Death Threats" /> Since then, Bharti and her team have been working on personally visiting villages and schools to discuss the detrimental effects of child marriage and to teach women empowerment.<ref name="The Establishment">{{cite news |last1=Sacheti |first1=Priyanka |title=Thanks To This Woman, There's Hope For Child Brides In Rajasthan |url=https://theestablishment.co/thanks-to-this-woman-theres-hope-for-child-brides-in-rajasthan/index.html |access-date=7 September 2020 |work=The Establishment |publisher=The Establishment |date=17 September 2018}}</ref> The organization has a helpline for underage brides and grooms to report their case. As victims reach out, Bharti's team obtains proof of the marriage and then talks to the family of both the bride and bridegroom, and then to the elders of the community in an attempt to convince them. If it fails, Bharti's team seeks legal help and takes the case to the court.<ref name="DARPAN Dr. Kriti Bharti">{{cite news |last1=Goswami |first1=Garima |title=Dr. Kriti Bharti: Taking Child Marriage to Courts |url=https://darpanmagazine.com/news/india/dr-kriti-bharti-taking-child-marriage-to-courts/ |access-date=7 September 2020 |work=darpanmagazine.com |publisher=DARPAN PUBLICATION LTD. |date=20 May 2019 |language=en}}</ref>

Throughout years of activism, Bharti has faced countless death and [[rape threats]].<ref name="OnManorama this woman battled" /> Hidebound Hindu leaders who approve the practice of child marriage have threatened to chop her nose and [[gang-rape]] her.<ref name="LA Times headlines global development" />

Saarthi Trust has rehabilitated more than 6,000 children and 5,500 women.<ref name="BusinessStandard">{{cite news |title=What a woman! She battled personal odds to become crusader against child marriages (IANS Special Series) |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/what-a-woman-she-battled-personal-odds-to-become-crusader-against-child-marriages-ians-special-series-118100700159_1.html |access-date=7 September 2020 |work=Business Standard India |publisher=Business Standard Private Ltd. |date=7 October 2018}}</ref> Since it was established in 2011, Bharti's team has annulled more than 44 child marriages and halted more than 1,400 from happening.<ref name="Hindustan Times Rajasthan Court">{{cite news |title=Rajasthan court annuls child marriage that took place 14 years ago |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/jaipur/rajasthan-court-annuls-child-marriage-that-took-place-14-years-ago/story-7kQhjCQwCFgoZdoZ0pNXcN.html |access-date=7 September 2020 |work=Hindustan Times |publisher=HT Media Limited |date=23 November 2017 |language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bharti, Kriti}}
[[Category:1987 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian people]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian women]]
[[Category:Activists against child marriage]]
[[Category:Activists from Rajasthan]]
[[Category:Child marriage in India]]
[[Category:Children's rights activists]]
[[Category:Indian women's rights activists]]
[[Category:People from Jodhpur]]

Kriti Bharti - Revision history

Infycle Technologies at 18:45, 26 March 2026