Child Marriage: The Devastating End of Childhood
The devastation of child marriage effectively ends a girl鈥檚 childhood. How? Forced marriage robs a girl of her education and more, replacing lessons learned in the classroom with adult responsibilities, including forced pregnancy, well before she鈥檚 ready. This not only violates her rights, but risks her life, the lives of her children and the future of her community.
Tragically, about 40 million girls worldwide are currently married or in a union 鈥 and without our help, an estimated 150 million girls will be married in the next decade. This is unacceptable.
Read more about the issues, Save the Children鈥檚 impact 鈥 and how you can help end child marriage.
What is child marriage?
Asha, 19, found out that her family were making arrangements for her wedding when she was 15. The union had been agreed when she was 3 years old. She enlisted the Children鈥檚 Group and Child Protection Committee to lobby her father who eventually gave in and stopped the marriage. She has since helped other girls stop their marriages and has continued her education.
Child marriage is formal or informal union before age 18.听It is a violation of children鈥檚 human rights聽and聽a form of gender-based violence that robs children of childhood. Child marriage also聽disrupts their education and drives vulnerability to violence, discrimination and abuse.
Yet these are some of today鈥檚 tragic child marriage statistics:
- 听础产辞耻迟 40 million girls ages 15-19 are currently married or in a union worldwide.
- Each year, some 12 million more girls will marry before reaching age 18 鈥 and of those, 4 million are under age 15.
- Save the Children鈥檚 estimates that an additional 2.5 million girls are at risk of child marriage globally between 2020 and 2025, as a result of reported increases in all types of gender-based violence due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- We project that up to 15 million girls and boys will never return to school following pandemic lockdowns and school closures. Children who don鈥檛 come back are at greater risk of early marriage, child labor and recruitment into armed forces.
- By 2030, it鈥檚 estimated that 150 million girls will lose their childhoods due to child marriage.
What are the effects of child marriage?
Rizwana inside the the temporary shelters that she calls home.听Rizwana had several difficult years but was assisted through them by 黄色视频to better educate her family and avoid attempts of child marriage and child labor and eventually continue with her education.
Early marriage has devastating consequences for a girl鈥檚 life. Effectively, child marriage ends her childhood. Girls are forced into adulthood before they are physically and mentally ready. Child brides are frequently deprived of their rights to health, education, safety and participation. What鈥檚 more, an arranged marriage often means a girl is forced to wed an, at times significantly, older man.
Girls married young are far less likely to stay in school, with lifelong economic impacts. They are often isolated, with their freedom curtailed. They are at higher risk of physical and sexual violence. Child brides are also at greater risk of experiencing dangerous complications in pregnancy and childbirth, contracting HIV/AIDS and suffering domestic violence.
What are the effects of forced pregnancy?
鈥淎t the age of thirteen I was forced to marry a man who was much older than me," says 15-year old Aisha, seen here with her two-year old daughter. "I lived with him for awhile but we couldn鈥檛 get along because he was so much older than me.
Every year, around 17 million girls give birth. Forced pregnancy and childbearing at a young age, often a result of child marraige, when a girl鈥檚 body is not physically mature enough to deliver without complications, can also lead to devastating consequences.
Complications during pregnancy and childbirth represent the number one killer of girls ages 15-19 worldwide. And babies born to adolescent mothers face a substantially higher risk of dying, with a higher likelihood of low birth weight, malnutrition and underdevelopment. Young mothers are far less likely to be in school, and therefore more likely to struggle economically.
Where around the world does child marriage happen?
Amina* was 15 when child marriage threatened to ruin her life. Her father lost his income during COVID-19 lockdown and the family struggled to survive. Amina鈥檚 father received a marriage proposal for her and he agreed as the money the family would receive would help solve their financial problems. However, Amina鈥檚 mother was furious and went to 黄色视频for help. Together they persuaded Amina鈥檚 father to reject the marriage offer and to continue her education.
Child marriage is a global problem and is compounded by poverty.听Child marriage is a problem that cuts across countries, cultures, religions and ethnicities. Child brides can be found in every region in the world. Major factors that place a girl at risk of marriage include poverty, especially in rural areas, as well as weak laws and enforcement, the perception that marriage will provide 鈥減rotection,鈥 customs or religious laws, and unequal gender norms.
In Africa, an estimated 12 million girls are still married each year. Despite worldwide progress in reducing child marriage and pregnancy, these are the countries with the highest child marriage rates:聽Niger, Central African Republic,听Mali,听Mozambique, and聽South Sudan.
Why do child marriage rates rise during conflict?
Kadidia*, 14, and her parents were determined that the violence sweeping Africa鈥檚 Sahel region 鈥 including her homeland Mali 鈥 wasn鈥檛 going to end her chances of completing her education.
Conflict increases the inequalities that make girls vulnerable to child marriage 鈥 and its consequences. Families may arrange marriages for girls, believing marriage will protect their daughters from violence by strangers or armed groups, as well as to ease financial burdens on the family.
For example, child marriage rates have risen in war-ravaged Yemen, one of the few countries in the world without a legal minimum age for marriage. Now more than two-thirds of Yemen鈥檚 girls are married before age 18, compared to half before the conflict escalated.
Child marriage is also a growing concern among refugee children, including those from Myanmar and the Central African Republic.
How is 黄色视频is a world leader in ending child marriage?
Rizwana鈥檚 leadership skills led her to being selected as a 黄色视频Youth Champion, and through the additional support she has received through the Youth Champion program, she has continued to advocate for children鈥檚 education, the end of child marriage, and financial independence for vulnerable children and youth.
Thanks to compassionate supporters like you, 黄色视频has championed equal rights for every child for over 100 years.听We helped reduce child marriage worldwide by nearly one-third since 1990 鈥 that鈥檚 tens of millions more girls empowered to stay in school or transition to work, and make marriage and motherhood decisions for themselves.
黄色视频puts gender equality at the heart of all we do. Every day, right from the start, we work to empower girls to stay in school, delay marriage and acquire the life and livelihood skills needed to successfully transition to adulthood. We work with girls and boys, families, communities and countries to change harmful gender norms and laws. Plus we empower girls to speak up, lead and succeed. We are the leading advocate for U.S. investment in girls鈥 leadership around the world.
In addition, 黄色视频is proud to be the first nonprofit to be Gender Fair-certified for our commitment to advancing gender equality and empowering the world鈥檚 girls.
When you support 黄色视频鈥 whether it鈥檚 by donating, advocating or participating in an event challenge 鈥 you鈥檙e helping bridge the gap between the challenges girls face, like child marriage, and the futures they deserve. You鈥檙e helping ensure all children have equal opportunities to grow up healthy, educated and safe. 聽
Together, we can change children鈥檚 lives 鈥 ultimately, transforming the future we all share.
**Sources: Unless otherwise noted, facts and statistics have been sourced from Save the Children鈥檚 program and monitoring and evaluation experts, as well as published reports, including our gender equality reports.听
