UNICEF Says Education Helped Prevent 68 Million Child Marriages in 25 Years

UNICEF says an estimated 68 million child marriages were prevented globally over the past 25 years, largely through investments in girls’ education, legal reform and social protection. The agency says child marriage still affects about one in five girls worldwide. More than 12 million girls are married before age 18 each year, with sub-Saharan Africa recording the highest prevalence at 31 per cent. UNICEF warns that conflict, displacement and poverty raise girls’ risk of leaving school, facing violence and being married early. It called for stronger support for education, health, protection services and efforts to challenge harmful social norms.

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