World: Still Just a Girl. What it takes to end child marriage

Country: World Source: Plan International Please refer to the attached file. Every three seconds, somewhere in the world, a girl under 18 is married. This reality touches the lives of 12 million girls each year, robbing them of their childhood, education and the chance to shape their own future. Girls who marry before their 18th birthday are more likely to drop out of school, experience intimate partner violence and become trapped in a lifetime of poverty. They are also at higher risk of health complications from pregnancy and childbirth, a leading cause of death among adolescent girls.1 Globally, the rate of child, early, and forced marriages and unions (CEFMU) has declined in the past decade, but progress has been uneven and too slow to meet sustainable development goals by 2030. At the current pace, it will take 300 years to eliminate this harmful practice. Three regions bear the greatest burden. SubSaharan Africa has the highest rate of child marriage in the world, affecting one in three girls. South Asia still has the highest number of child brides due to its larger population, despite making the most progress in reducing child marriage. In Latin America and the Caribbean, progress has stalled for decades and informal unions are common, falling under the radar of legal frameworks against child marriage.4
2026-07-23 10:33:09