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Every year on 11 October, we mark the International Day of the Girl Child to recognise girls’ rights and the unique challenges they face around the world. At Equality Now, we use this moment to shine a spotlight on child, early, and forced marriages and unions (CEFMU), a widespread but preventable violation of girls’ rights. Across the world, millions of girls are married before they are ready, forced into adulthood and denied their right to education, autonomy, and joy.
Every year, 12 million girls are married before the age of 18, losing access to education, safety, and the freedom to shape their own lives.
In many countries, families mistakenly see child marriage as a way to manage economic hardship, and when social protection is absent and climate shocks or conflict hit, girls become the most negotiable members of the household.
Child marriage persists because of an interconnected set of factors that include poverty, gender inequality, harmful social norms, and the absence of systems that support families to protect their girls.
Girls subjected to child marriage are:
The impact is even more severe for girls in rural or marginalised communities, and those living through conflict or displacement.
Progress is too slow, and setbacks are growing.
At Equality Now, we work to end child marriage by targeting its legal, systemic, and cultural drivers. Our efforts span:
We’re not just calling for change, we’re building it. Already this year, Equality Now and our partner, Unchained at Last, have helped drive change to reform child marriage laws in California, Maine, Oregon, and Washington, DC. And last year, we worked with our partners to contribute to efforts to ban child marriage in Colombia and in the US states of New Hampshire, Virginia, and Washington. Most recently, Bolivia became the latest country in Latin America and the Caribbean to approve a law setting the minimum age of marriage at 18, without exceptions.
Together, we can make childhood safe and equal.
This International Day of the Girl Child, we’re working with children’s and toy stores around the world to amplify an important message: girls deserve to be kids and experience the joy that comes with play, not be married as children. Visit your participating store on Oct. 11 to receive special stickers and cards to mark the occasion.
If you are a store owner and would like to support us in a similar way, please email supporters@equalitynow.org.
*play Andersonville
5311 North Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60640
*play Hyde Park
1502 E 55th St
Chicago, Illinois 60615
*play Lincoln Park
2462 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, Illinois 60614
*play Logan Square
3109 W Logan Blvd
Chicago, Illinois 60647
*play West Loop
1112 W Madison St
Chicago, Illinois 60607
bbgb
3003 W Cary St
Richmond, VA 23221
Building Blocks Toy Store
3306 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60657
Cloud & Bunny
1600 W Montrose
Chicago, IL 60613
Mommies and Babies
41E Broughton St
Cheetham Hill, Manchester M8 8AN
United Kingdom
The Kids Company
781 Laurel Street
San Carlos, CA 94070
World of Mirth
3005 W. Cary Street
Richmond, VA 23221
Donate $5 or $10 in honour of a special woman, girl, or ally in your life.