Child marriage
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More than 250 million women alive today were married before their 15th birthday, many against their will. Child marriage robs them of their childhoods, education, health and freedom, and can leave girls vulnerable to abuse for the rest of their lives.1
Girls living in the poorest, rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia are the most vulnerable. As populations continue to grow, hundreds of millions of girls remain at risk.
Local ActionAid workers are working to end child marriage in their communities – bringing perpetrators to justice, educating communities on the negative effects of child marriage, and empowering girls to have a voice and say no.
ActionAid also campaigns at a regional, national and international level to end forced marriage.
What is the difference between child marriage, forced marriage and arranged marriage?
Child marriage is any formal marriage or informal union where one or both people are under 18 years old.
A forced marriage is where one or both people...
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