5 things you need to know about child marriage 

Child marriage is defined as a formal marriage or informal union before the age of 18. 

It is a human rights violation that legitimizes abuse and denies girls’ autonomy under the guise of culture, honor, tradition, and religion.

Equality Now has been actively advocating for the eradication of harmful practices, including child marriage, for the past three decades. Find out more about the impact of child marriage across the world.

1. Child marriage disproportionately affects girls

Child marriage disproportionately affects girls around the world, with 1 in 5 young women aged 20 to 24 years old married before their 18th birthday, compared to 1 in 30 young men.

Child marriage is rooted in gender inequality and deprives a girl of a future in which she can reach her full potential. 

When young girls are forced to marry, they are essentially subject to state-sanctioned rape and are at risk of increased domestic violence, forced pregnancy, and negative health consequences, while being denied education and economic opportunity.

2. 23 girls every minute are married before the age of 18

An estimated 640 million girls and women alive today were married in childhood. According to UNICEF, each year, 12 million girls are married before the age of 18. That is 23 girls every minute, nearly 1 every 2 seconds. Child marriage happens across religious, ethnic, and cultural groups. 

Often, child marriages involve young girls being married to older men. Such age gaps create a power imbalance in relationships. Many girls are left dependent on their older partner, limiting their ability to give full consent or assert their rights.

3. Child marriage is twice as likely to occur in fragile countries

Girls living in areas affected by conflict also face an elevated risk of child marriage. The percentage of women aged 20 to 24 years who were first married or in union before age 18, worldwide and in countries with high levels of institutional and social fragility, is nearly two times higher than the world average (35% compared to 19%).

Child marriage in conflict is seen as a survival strategy amidst worsening poverty and sexual violence, displacement, and insecurity.

4. Girls who marry before age 18 are 50% more likely to face violence from a partner

According to the International Council of Research On Women (ICRW), women with low levels of education and married adolescents between the ages of 15-19 years old are at a higher risk of domestic violence than older and more educated women. Globally, girls who marry before the age 18 are 50 percent more likely to face physical or sexual violence from a partner throughout the course of their life.

5. Child marriage is happening on every continent

Child marriage is a global problem. 

In several regions of Russia, marriage is allowed at 14, and as highlighted in our Addressing Child, Early and Forced Marriage in Eurasia report, only two out of the seven countries covered have 18 as the minimum legal age of marriage. 

Only 7 of the 16 countries in Southern Africa have set the minimum age of marriage at 18 without exception. In Colombia, the law permits minors as young as 14 to marry with parental consent. In the United States, an estimated 300,000 children married between 2000 and 2018 with only 13 US states banning child marriage. 

We need legislation that sets the legal age of marriage at 18 years old without exception. 

Together, we can end child marriage

Legal reforms must be accompanied by public policies addressing the root causes of child marriage, awareness campaigns, and a multi-sectoral approach involving education, healthcare, and community engagement.

Ensuring girls’ voices in decision-making, and providing comprehensive sex education and reproductive health services are essential for safeguarding their rights and preventing child marriages.