Can you imagine your Grade 9 daughter getting married to a man two or three times her age? Unfortunately, that's a reality for many families around the world, as one in five girls is married while she is still a child.

The numbers are even more alarming in the world’s least developed countries—including six FH partner countries like Bangladesh—where the rate doubles to 40 per cent. This means four in ten girls are married before turning 18, and 12 per cent are forced into marriage before their 15th birthday. Often, to men twice their age. 

It's very fitting that the theme for International Women’s Day 2025 is “Accelerate Action.” It’s a call to do more, act faster, and work harder for gender equality worldwide.

Child marriage demands urgent attention.  It’s a practice that strips millions of girls of their rights, education, and future.

Child marriage has devastating mental and physical consequences for girls and women worldwide. It robs them of their childhood, education, and future opportunities, reinforcing cycles of poverty and inequality. Ending this harmful practice is essential to achieving true gender equality.

You can fight child marriage through education and awareness. By understanding the root causes and impacts, you can take meaningful steps to support change for a better future.

Here are 10 facts about child marriage and how you can help:

—1.—650 million women and girls alive today were married before their 18th birthday

This number is continually growing as an estimate of 12 million more each year are married before they reach adulthood.

—2.—Married teens often get pregnant within their first year of marriage.

In Bangladesh, almost half of all child brides give birth before the age of 18. This has serious implications on their mental health as they often experience psychological trauma from entering adult relationships when they are young and vulnerable. 

—3.—70,000 girls die each year from pregnancy complications or childbirth.

Becoming a child bride is dangerous. Pregnancy is one of the leading causes of death for girls aged 15 - 19 in developing countries like Bangladesh.

—4.—Child brides are more likely to suffer miscarriages and stillbirths

Underaged marriages don’t only have dire consequences for the girls, but also their children. Child brides are 50 per cent more likely to experience pregnancy complications, including miscarriages and stillbirths. Babies born to mothers under 20 are also at higher risk of low birthweight, preterm birth, and severe neonatal conditions. Child marriage puts both mothers and babies at risk.

—5.—Girls who marry before 18 are more likely to experience domestic abuse.

Girls who marry before 18 are especially vulnerable to violence from their husbands or their families. Research shows that girls who marry before 15 are twice as likely to experience domestic violence by their husbands compared to women who marry in adulthood.

—6.—The larger the age gap, the more likelihood of violence.

Husbands are usually much older than their child brides, resulting in higher rates of domestic violence. The greater the age gap, the more likely girls are to experience violence. There is an imbalance in power between young wives and their much older husbands who often deny them their autonomy. 

—7.—Child brides are at more risk of contracting HIV/AIDS

Young girls don’t have the opportunity to learn about safe sex practices, leading to higher rates of HIV infection. In 2016, more than one in ten new infections in Africa occurred among children aged 14 and under.

—8.—Child Marriage threatens girl’s access to education

Once married, girls often drop out of school and are expected to take on full-time household responsibilities. Stigma and gender norms often force them out of school, preventing them from finishing their education. Limited education restricts girls’ ability to acquire necessary skills, reducing their chances of entering the workforce and achieving financial independence.

—9.—To eliminate child marriage by 2030, global progress would need to be 20 times faster

According to data from United Nations Children Fund, progress is possible! In order to end child marriage by 2030 we’d need significant improvements in economic development, access to employment, and education at the secondary level for girls.

—10.—Bonus: You can help end child marriage! 

Your gift allows FH to educate communities about its dangers, shift perceptions of girls’ value, and promote gender equality. We create peer support groups for girls, teaching them the importance of education, and provide vocational training for mothers to support their families, reducing the need to marry daughters off early. Helping kids stay kids. 

You can put an end to child marriage. With a gift today, you can help teenage girls say no to child marriage. A childhood can’t wait.

Donate today!