Child marriage is standing in the way of progress towards many of our 2030 Global Goals. For as long as child marriage continues to exist, so will poverty and instability, violence against women and girls, high global maternal mortality rates, and an ever-widening educational gap between the poorest and wealthiest nations.

Here’s why:

  1. Child marriage traps girls and their families in a cycle of poverty
  2. Child marriage is linked to high global rates of maternal mortality
  3. Child brides are more likely to contract HIV/AIDS
  4. Child marriage is a major barrier to achieving gender equality
  5. Child marriage locks away women’s enormous potential to help solve global problems

However, when girls are excluded from education and locked away in an early marriage, they are often unable to gain the knowledge or earn the respect and decision-making power that they need to lead change in their communities.

Read the full article by Fiona Mavhinga about child marriage from Huffington Post