At the current pace of progress, it will take 300 years to eliminate child marriage worldwide, according to a UNICEF report.
Slow Progress: The percentage of women aged 20-24 married in childhood decreased from 23% to 19% in the past decade, but 12 million girls are married before the age of 18 every year.
* The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals originally targeted 2030 to end child marriage.
* Progress has been hindered by armed conflicts, climate-change-related disasters, and economic and social changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Success Stories: Countries like Ethiopia and Rwanda have significantly reduced child marriage rates due to common factors, including poverty reduction, girls’ access to secondary education, and employment opportunities for women.
* South Asia, which still contains 45% of child brides worldwide, has seen the most reduction in child marriages.
Lasting Consequences: Child marriage perpetuates poverty and has severe health consequences for girls, women, and their children.
* Child marriages lead to decreased access to education and healthcare, and increased risk of physical and mental health issues, intimate partner violence, and sexually transmitted infections.
* Ending child marriage would result in better economic and health outcomes for individuals, families, and communities.
This summary was created by an AI system.
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