Child marriage: a Council on Foreign Relations briefing
Child marriage remains widespread in developing countries. It affects girls far more than boys and endangers their lives and livelihoods.
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This video is part of the Council on Foreign Relations' "Child Marriage" InfoGuide presentation.
Child Marriage InfoGuide: Council on Foreign Relations
Why it matters
Child marriage is rooted in cultural tradition and poverty. It violates human rights law, and it also threatens stability and economic development.
International conventions prohibit child marriage and set eighteen as the age of adulthood. These laws rest on the argument that children and adolescents are not mature enough to make choices about marriage. Marrying too young can also cause lasting emotional, physical and psychological harm.
The cost to communities
Development experts say child marriage limits girls' education and their chances to earn an income. It keeps communities in poverty around the world, slows progress towards national and global development goals, and threatens stability.
Delaying the age of marriage and investing in girls' futures, the experts say, can have a multiplier effect that benefits whole communities.