This report is a clarion call to decision makers, parents, communities and
to the world to end child marriage. It documents the current scope, prevalence
and inequities associated with child marriage and highlights that by 2020, Some
142 million girls will be married by their 18th birthday if current trends
continue.
This translates into 14.2 million girls married each year, or 37,000 girls
married each day. Child marriage jeopardizes girls’ rights and stands in the
way of girls living educated, healthy and productive lives. It also excludes
girls from fundamental decisions, such as the timing of marriage and choice of
spouse. Girls living in rural areas of the developing world are twice as likely
to be married before age 18 as their urban counterparts, and girls with no
education are over three times more likely to do so than those with secondary
or higher education.
The report calls on governments and leaders to end child marriage by:
- Enacting and enforcing national laws that raise the age
of marriage to 18, for both girls and boys.
- Using data to identify and target geographic “hotspots”
– areas with high proportions and numbers of girls at risk of child marriage.
- Expanding prevention programmes that empower girls at
risk of child marriage and address the root causes underlying the
practice.
- Mitigating the harmful impact of child marriage on
girls.
The Report