Child Marriage

Each year, 12 million girls under the age of 18 become married. Today, more than 650 million women and 150 million men are currently living with the consequences of a marriage that took place when they were children.¹ Child marriages pose threats to children’s health, education and vocation, creating issues during pregnancy and childbirth and rendering the girls vulnerable to domestic abuse.² Niger has the highest rate of child marriage, with 76 percent of its 20-24 year old women having been married before the age of 18. 68 percent of women in the Central African Republic report having been married as a child, with 67 percent of women reporting the same in Chad.³ Child marriage has roots in gender inequality, particularly in developing nations,⁴ and the economic effects of a woman dropping out of school to start at a family — at a young age, not being able to contribute to her family’s income — perpetuates the cycle of poverty.⁵ While the majority of nations have laws in place to prevent the marriage of children, 93 countries allow girls under the age of 18 to marry with parental consent.⁶