UNICEF: "It will take 300 years to eradicate child marriage completely"

Although the number of child marriages continues to decrease worldwide, it will take another 300 years for them to disappear. Where does this problem exist?

United Nations Children’s Fund UNICEF published in May 2023, his report predicts that it will take at least three centuries for the complete disappearance of child marriages. There are approximately 640 million women in the world who were married off as children. And although law enforcement officers note progress in the fight against this phenomenon, it is clearly not fast enough.

Currently, every fifth young girl between the ages of 20 and 24 marries in childhood, 10 years ago this fate was destined for every fourth. Regions where underage brides and wives live:

• Almost half live in South Asia (290 million).
• 127 million (20%) are in sub-Saharan Africa.
• 95 million (15%) in East Asia and the Pacific.
• 58 million (9%) in Latin America and the Caribbean.
• In the Middle East and North Africa, 37 million girls suffer from early marriage.
• In Eastern Europe and Central Asia – 20 million.

The UNICEF report states:

“Despite global progress, the decline in child marriage is not happening fast enough to meet the goal of ending the practice by 2030. In fact, at the current pace, it will take another 300 years to completely eradicate child marriage.”

The global progress seen in recent years is due in large part to the decline in child marriage in India. But it is there that there is still the largest number of underage brides in the world. Progress is also being made in other densely populated countries with historically similar practices, such as Ethiopia and Bangladesh. The Maldives and Rwanda are trying to keep up with them. The UN states:

“The experience of these countries illustrates that progress is possible under different conditions. Nevertheless, these countries have common features, in particular improved economic development, reduced poverty, access to employment and secondary education.”

But in some countries, progress has stopped or is very insignificant. For example, in West and Central Africa, where child marriages are extremely common, and over the past quarter century, progress in eradicating this custom is practically not noticeable. However, many countries in the region, such as the Sahel*, are experiencing ongoing crises that increase the vulnerability of underage girls.

Child marriage is also flourishing in Latin America and the Caribbean. Due to the large gap between different socio-economic groups, this practice has taken root among poor people. UNICEF says:

“The health crisis, armed conflict and climate change are all contributing to a more unstable world in which families can seek ‘safe haven’ for their girls in child marriage.”

* The Sahel is a vast region with a population of about 100 million people, on the territory of which five countries are located: Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Mali, Niger and Chad, members of the Sahel Group of Five, also known as the Sahel Five.

Source link