The tradition of child marriage began in

Child marriage is a truly global problem. It happens across countries, cultures, religions and ethnicities. Use our interactive atlas to understand the scale of the problem and what is being done to end it. You can also find data to support your advocacy and fundraising, and to connect with others working on the issue in your location. Child marriage looks different from one community to the next. There is no single solution, actor or sector to end it; we must all work together. Solutions must be local, contextual and integrated. The Girls Not Brides Theory of Change shows the range and combination of approaches needed, and the role everyone has to play. More than 650 million women alive today already suffer the direct consequences of child marriage. Globally, the rates of child marriage are slowly declining but progress isn't happening fast enough. If pre-pandemic trends continue, 150 million more girls will be married by 2030 Child marriage violates girls’ rights to health, education and opportunity. Child marriage is any formal marriage or informal union where one or both parties are under 18 years of age. It is rooted in gender inequality. Girls who formally marry or cohabit as if married before the age of 18 are more likely to have early pregnancies, experience dangerous complications in pregnancy and childbirth, acquire HIV, and experience domestic violence. Ending child marriage will improve the health of millions of girls, and their children. Find out more on our W...

People Also Read: What is Child marriage – Wikipedia Most of the religions which have been practiced throughout history have established amnimum age for marriage in one way or another. Christian canon law forbade the marriage of a girl before the onset of puberty. The marriage of girls became objectionable only when some Americans (at first only a small minority) began to believe that girls, like boys, deserved the opportunity to grow up and. The Child Was to Be His Wife:: Patterns of Youthful Marriage in Antebellum America Download XML Wholly Unfit for the Marriage Codition:: Parton v. How to The Insidious Tradition Of Taking Child Brides : NPR The Secret World Of Child Brides NEAL CONAN, HOST: For millions of girls around the world, marriage is not an issue of individual choice or amtter of the heart. In Tasneem’s religious community, girls were encouraged to marry young, just after finishing high school, as virgins. Child marriages have been common throughout history. For much of history, especially before the industrial revolution, girls were wed right after puberty. The first recorded evidence of marriage ceremonies uniting one woman and one man dates from about 2350 B. By age 18 years, Lalitbai was amrried mother of three children. She became a child bride when she was 13 years old.

Child marriage and forced marriage are violations of child protection and human rights. This widespread, harmful practice not only compromises a child’s development; it also severely limits their health, wellness, and opportunities in life. And yet, globally, at least 12 million girls per year are married before the age of 18. The United Nations FAQs: What you need to know about child marriage Explore facts and frequently asked questions about child marriage, and learn how you can help end it. • • • • • • • • • • • What is child marriage? At its core, child marriage — where one or both parties are children under 18­— While child marriage is far more likely to happen to girls, in some countries, it’s not uncommon for boys to marry before the age of 18. Often, a younger girl is married to an older man. How is forced marriage related to child marriage? A key characteristic of forced marriage is the absence of one or both individuals’ full, free, and informed consent to the marriage. Marriage is considered forced when children are not in a position — legally or otherwise — to offer this kind of consent. How many child brides are there in the world? About 650 million women alive today were married before their 18th birthday. Worldwide, about 21% of girls are married in childhood. That’s 12 million girls under 18 every year — or 22 girls every minute. Why does child marriage happen today? The causes of child marriage are complex and varied. It’s motivated by different factors ac...

A young, unmarried girl stands amid a herd of cattle outside Bor, the capital of Jonglei State. Cattle carry significant social, economic, and cultural importance for South Sudan's pastoralist ethnic groups, which use cows for payment of dowry - a key driver of child marriage. Bor Jonglei State, February 2013. © 2013 Brent Stirton/Reportage for Human Rights Watch Introduction I faced a lot of problems in marriage. I was young and did not know how to be a wife. I was pregnant, had to look after my husband, do housework, deal with in-laws, and work on the farm. My worst time was when I was pregnant; I had to do all this and deal with a pregnancy while I was just a child myself. —Elina V., 19, married a 24-year-old man when she was 15, Mangochi district, Malawi, September 2013 We have a crisis on our hands. The UN estimates that 15 million girls experience child marriage each year…. We must move from vulnerability to voice and leadership. Africa is young and full of innovation. This energy must be harnessed to ensure that we have lasting solutions. —Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, African Union Goodwill ambassador on Ending Child Marriage in Africa, national launch of the AU Campaign to End Child Marriage in Africa, July 31, 2015 In September 2015, leaders from Africa joined other governments from around the world in adopting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including a target to end child marriage in the next 15 years. Ending Child Marriage in Africa: Openin...

• • Child Protection • Violence against children • Violence in school • Violence online • Sexual violence • Protecting children in humanitarian action • Explosive weapons • Mental health and psychosocial support • Gender-based violence • Family separation • Sexual exploitation and abuse • Children recruited by armed forces • Harmful practices • Child marriage • UNFPA-UNICEF Global Programme to End Child Marriage • Female genital mutilation • UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation • Migrant and displaced children • UNICEF’s Agenda for Action • Strengthening child protection systems • Birth registration • Children in alternative care • Social service workforce • Child labour • Justice for children Child marriage refers to any formal marriage or informal union between a child under the age of 18 and an adult or another child. Despite a steady decline in this harmful practice over the past decade, child marriage remains widespread, with approximately one in five girls married in childhood across the globe. Today, multiple crises – including conflict, climate shocks and the ongoing fallout from COVID-19 – are threatening to reverse progress towards eliminating this human rights violation. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals call for global action to end child marriage by 2030. UNICEF/UN0615530/Mussapp “One of the main problems that I have seen in my community is early pregnancy, the language barrier [for indigenous populations]...

• What Unicef Does • Children's Education • • • • • • • • Children's Health • • • • • • • • Children's Protection • • • • • Respect for Children • • • • • • • Emergency Response • • • • • • • • • • Where UNICEF Works • • • • • • • • About UNICEF USA • Careers • • • • Finances • • • • UNICEF USA Leadership • • • • • • • Partnerships • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • How to Help • Advocate • • • Donate • • • • • • • • • Fundraise • • • • • • MARCH 2019 UPDATE: Strong bills to end child marriage are currently pending in 11 state legislatures. For more details, see this But child marriage is happening right now in the U.S. And that's not okay. More than 200,000 minors were married in the U.S. between 2000 and 2015 While there is some evidence that children (mostly girls) are more at risk of child marriage in rural and poorer settings in the U.S., the fact is that child marriage affects all communities. It is not a "them" issue; it is an "us" issue. There is no federal law regarding child marriage. Every state sets its own requirements. According to data collected from 41 states, Child marriage is a harmful practice and a violation of child rights Parents may believe early marriage is in their daughter's best interest, especially if she's pregnant. But in all cases, girls who marry before age 18 are harmed for life. They're separated from their families and friends, and 50 percent more likely to drop out of school. Early marriage doubles a teenager's chances o...

Child marriage is a complex issue. It is rooted in gender inequality and the belief that girls and women are inferior to boys and men. It is made worse by poverty, lack of education, harmful social norms and practices, and insecurity. Its drivers vary between communities and it looks different across – and within – regions and countries. Photo: Girls Not Brides/Fran Afonso Gender inequality Gender inequality means that women and girls are treated as second-class citizens, denied their human rights and valued less because of their sex. Child marriage is one expression of this gender inequality. Patriarchal systems – that is, systems that are controlled by men – that value girls according to their virginity lead to limits on female sexuality and reproductive choices. This can mean controlling how a girl behaves and dresses, where she goes, who she sees, and if, who and when she marries. It can also criminalise her sexuality and block her access to care and information. In many places, girls who have relationships or become pregnant outside of marriage are shamed for bringing dishonour on their family, [1] or even stopped from going to school. In such circumstances, parents may see early marriage as a way to protect their daughters and their families. Girls may agree, and wish to gain status as a wife and mother. Explore the links between gender equality and child marriage on our Gender learning page and Social norms and practices Social norms are informal rules of behaviour ...

Child marriage is a complex issue. It is rooted in gender inequality and the belief that girls and women are inferior to boys and men. It is made worse by poverty, lack of education, harmful social norms and practices, and insecurity. Its drivers vary between communities and it looks different across – and within – regions and countries. Photo: Girls Not Brides/Fran Afonso Gender inequality Gender inequality means that women and girls are treated as second-class citizens, denied their human rights and valued less because of their sex. Child marriage is one expression of this gender inequality. Patriarchal systems – that is, systems that are controlled by men – that value girls according to their virginity lead to limits on female sexuality and reproductive choices. This can mean controlling how a girl behaves and dresses, where she goes, who she sees, and if, who and when she marries. It can also criminalise her sexuality and block her access to care and information. In many places, girls who have relationships or become pregnant outside of marriage are shamed for bringing dishonour on their family, [1] or even stopped from going to school. In such circumstances, parents may see early marriage as a way to protect their daughters and their families. Girls may agree, and wish to gain status as a wife and mother. Explore the links between gender equality and child marriage on our Gender learning page and Social norms and practices Social norms are informal rules of behaviour ...

A young, unmarried girl stands amid a herd of cattle outside Bor, the capital of Jonglei State. Cattle carry significant social, economic, and cultural importance for South Sudan's pastoralist ethnic groups, which use cows for payment of dowry - a key driver of child marriage. Bor Jonglei State, February 2013. © 2013 Brent Stirton/Reportage for Human Rights Watch Introduction I faced a lot of problems in marriage. I was young and did not know how to be a wife. I was pregnant, had to look after my husband, do housework, deal with in-laws, and work on the farm. My worst time was when I was pregnant; I had to do all this and deal with a pregnancy while I was just a child myself. —Elina V., 19, married a 24-year-old man when she was 15, Mangochi district, Malawi, September 2013 We have a crisis on our hands. The UN estimates that 15 million girls experience child marriage each year…. We must move from vulnerability to voice and leadership. Africa is young and full of innovation. This energy must be harnessed to ensure that we have lasting solutions. —Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, African Union Goodwill ambassador on Ending Child Marriage in Africa, national launch of the AU Campaign to End Child Marriage in Africa, July 31, 2015 In September 2015, leaders from Africa joined other governments from around the world in adopting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including a target to end child marriage in the next 15 years. Ending Child Marriage in Africa: Openin...

Child marriage and forced marriage are violations of child protection and human rights. This widespread, harmful practice not only compromises a child’s development; it also severely limits their health, wellness, and opportunities in life. And yet, globally, at least 12 million girls per year are married before the age of 18. The United Nations FAQs: What you need to know about child marriage Explore facts and frequently asked questions about child marriage, and learn how you can help end it. • • • • • • • • • • • What is child marriage? At its core, child marriage — where one or both parties are children under 18­— While child marriage is far more likely to happen to girls, in some countries, it’s not uncommon for boys to marry before the age of 18. Often, a younger girl is married to an older man. How is forced marriage related to child marriage? A key characteristic of forced marriage is the absence of one or both individuals’ full, free, and informed consent to the marriage. Marriage is considered forced when children are not in a position — legally or otherwise — to offer this kind of consent. How many child brides are there in the world? About 650 million women alive today were married before their 18th birthday. Worldwide, about 21% of girls are married in childhood. That’s 12 million girls under 18 every year — or 22 girls every minute. Why does child marriage happen today? The causes of child marriage are complex and varied. It’s motivated by different factors ac...