Every two seconds, an underage girl becomes a child bride somewhere in the world. Over 76% of girls in Niger, Chad, and Bangladesh are married before age 18. Around 15 million girls get married annually before turning 18, with 41,000 child brides daily. Girls under 15 are five times more likely to die in childbirth than women in their 20s. When girls marry and become pregnant, their educational prospects decline, particularly for poor families. While some countries have raised the legal age for marriage, social norms must also change.
It’s hard to fathom how fast some girls have to grow up in certain parts of the globe. Somewhere in the world, an underage girl becomes a child bride every two seconds. In Niger, for example, over 76 per cent of girls are married before they even reach adulthood at age 18. The numbers are strikingly similar in countries like Chad and Bangladesh. In fact, around 15 million girls get married every year before they turn 18. This translates into 41,000 child brides every day.
Too, too soon:
The World Health Organization reports that girls under the age of 15 are five times more likely to die in childbirth than women in their 20s.
According to the United Nations, when girls get married and become pregnant, their educational prospects plummet. Not surprisingly, girls from poor families suffer even more than girls from richer families.
Although some countries, such as Guatemala, have recently changed their laws to require girls to be 18 before they can marry, social norms need to change as well. Similar laws exist in Ethiopia, but one in five girls gets married before the age of 15.
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