Girls between the ages of 15 and 19 are twice as likely to die in childbirth as women in their 20s, and newborn children of younger mothers face greater risks of dying as well. Early marriage doubles a teenager's chances of living in poverty and triples the likelihood she'll be beaten by her spouse, compared to married adults. They're separated from their families and friends, and 50 percent more likely to drop out of school. But in all cases, girls who marry before age 18 are harmed for life. Parents may believe early marriage is in their daughter's best interest, especially if she's pregnant. Child marriage is a harmful practice and a violation of child rights According to data collected from 41 states, more than 200,000 minors were married in the U.S. There is no federal law regarding child marriage. It is not a "them" issue it is an "us" issue. While there is some evidence that children (mostly girls) are more at risk of child marriage in rural and poorer settings in the U.S., the fact is that child marriage affects all communities. More than 200,000 minors were married in the U.S. In South Asia, 3 in 10 girls are wed before their 18th birthday.īut child marriage is happening right now in the U.S. In sub-Saharan Africa, for example, 4 in 10 young women marry before age 18. Say "child marriage" and the average American thinks of a developing country, where economic hardship forces parents to marry off their young daughter to a much older man. Worldwide, 12 million girls marry before age 18 every year.
For more details, see this interview with Fraidy Reiss, founder of Unchained At Last, a nonprofit group that helps women extricate themselves from arranged marriages. MARCH 2019 UPDATE: Strong bills to end child marriage are currently pending in 11 state legislatures.
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