Rome, 10 Oct. (LaPresse) – Ahead of tomorrow’s Day of the Girl Child, UNICEF highlights that, worldwide, around 1 in 5 girls is married before she turns 18; there are approximately 650 million women and girls alive today who were married as children. Crises, conflicts and displacement continue to increase the risk of child marriage, sexual violence and maternal mortality for girls. Every year, more than 12 million girls – roughly one every three seconds – are married before reaching the age of majority, with the highest rate in sub-Saharan Africa (31 per cent). Early marriage remains one of the most widespread violations of the rights of girls, denying millions of them the chance to go to school, protect their health, live free from violence and fulfil their potential. Early marriage can have serious and lifelong consequences for the physical and mental health of girls and young women, increasing the risks of social isolation, anxiety and emotional stress at a time when self-harm is one of the leading causes of death among adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 globally.
Children: UNICEF – 1 in 5 girls worldwide is married off before the age of 18
Rome, 10 Oct. (LaPresse) – Ahead of tomorrow’s Day of the Girl Child, UNICEF highlights that, worldwide, around 1 in 5 girls is married before she turns 18; there are approximately 650 million women and girls alive today who were married as children. Crises, conflicts and displacement continue to increase the risk of child marriage, sexual violence and maternal mortality for girls. Every year, more than 12 million girls – roughly one every three seconds – are married before reaching the age of majority, with the highest rate in sub-Saharan Africa (31 per cent). Early marriage remains one of the most widespread violations of the rights of girls, denying millions of them the chance to go to school, protect their health, live free from violence and fulfil their potential. Early marriage can have serious and lifelong consequences for the physical and mental health of girls and young women, increasing the risks of social isolation, anxiety and emotional stress at a time when self-harm is one of the leading causes of death among adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 globally.