What is Child Marriage?
Child marriage refers to any formal marriage or informal union between a child under the age of 18 and an adult or another child.
Even though child marriage has decreased steadily in the last ten years, it's still a big issue, with about one in every five girls getting married during their childhood worldwide.
Currently, various crises like conflicts, climate disasters, and the ongoing effects of COVID-19 are putting progress in fighting this violation of human rights at risk.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals urge the world to work together and stop child marriage completely by 2030.
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Why?
Child marriage often happens because girls face unfair treatment due to gender inequality.
This makes girls the ones who are most affected by this problem. On a global scale, the number of boys marrying as children is only one sixth of the number of girls.
Child marriage steals away a girl's childhood and puts their well-being in danger.
Girls who get married before they're 18 are more likely to face harm within their marriage and are less likely to continue their education.
Their financial and health situations are worse compared to girls who aren't married, and these difficulties are passed on to their own children.
This strains a country's ability to provide good health and education services.
Girls who become child brides often become pregnant while they are still teenagers, which is a time when the risks during pregnancy and childbirth are higher.
This harmful practice can also make girls feel alone, cutting them off from their family and friends, and this greatly affects their mental health.
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What can we do about it?
UNICEF suggest to that ending child marriage is no small task, but many small actions can create big change. We don’t have to stand by and accept practices that hurt children and communities - instead, here are three actions we can all take:
- Report any child marriage happening around you to the proper authorities
- Educate your friends, family and community about why child marriage is harmful
- Promise to never be a part of any event that promotes child marriage