The High-Level Panel’s report recognises the global scope of this problem. Child marriage happens across cultures, religions and ethnicities. One in three girls in the developing world is married before they turn 18; one in nine girls is married before the age of 15. Every year, approximately 14 million girls are married before the age of 18. Child brides usually drop out of school and are denied the opportunity to complete their education, significantly reducing their ability to earn an income. Girls who give birth before the age of 15 are five times more likely to die in childbirth than women in their 20s. The children of child brides are 60% more likely to die before their first birthday than the children of mothers who are over 19. Girls who marry before the age of 18 are more likely to experience violence within marriage than women who marry later. Child marriage is also a human rights violation. Measuring progress towards ending child marriage allows us to keep track of both the welfare of adolescent girls and gender inequality.
Posted on: Wed, 12 Jun 2013 00:49:34 +0000
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