Protecting girls

 20,000 girls are married before the age of 18 every day around the world as countries continue to lack legal protections, according to a new study by Save the Children and the World Bank.  Save the Children and the World Bank found that close to 100 million girls around the world are not legally protected against child marriage.

Globally, even in countries that restrict the practice, almost 8 million girls are married illegally under the age of 18 each year, making up 60 percent of child marriages. Two-thirds of all child marriages take place even in countries where the practice is banned, indicating a lack of enforcement of marriage laws. Bangladesh, despite having set a minimum age of 18, has one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world with 65 percent of girls married before the age of 18. West and Central Africa sees 1.7 million illegal child marriages every year, making it one of the highest proportions globally.

 Loss of access to education appears to be both a cause and consequence of child marriage. Around the world, 32 million primary school and 29 million lower-secondary school-aged girls are out of school. Such girls are more likely to be married as children. By undermining their basic rights to education, girls’ life opportunities become limited, creating a domino effect that impacts the well-being of societies at large.

“For girls, being in school is a protective mechanism really,” Save the Children's Carolyn Miles told IPS.

While child marriage is commonly associated with undeveloped countries, the United States are also guilty of the practice. Across all 50 states, marriage before the age of 18 has remained legal as some lack any minimum marital age while others allow exceptions such as parental and judicial consent. Most recently, New Hampshire rejected a bill to increase the age of marriage from 13 to 18 while New Jersey vetoed a ban on marriage under the age of 18.