What is child marriage?

Ending Child Marriage matters because… Child marriage violates girls' rights to health, education and opportunity. It exposes girls to violence throughout their lives, and traps them in a cycle of poverty. Child marriage directly hinders the achievement of at least six of the Sustainable Development Goals. What is the impact? read more

Child marriage, defined as a formal marriage or informal union before age 18, is a reality for both boys and girls, although girls are disproportionately the most affected. Child marriage is widespread and can lead to a lifetime of disadvantage and deprivation. read more

Child marriage is any formal marriage or informal union where one or both of the parties are under 18 years of age. Each year, 12 million girls are married before the age of 18. That is 23 girls every minute. read more

Child marriage is a formal marriage or informal union entered into by an individual before reaching a certain age, specified by several global organizations such as UNICEF as minors under the age of 18. read more