Unicef alerts on the marriages of underage girls. According to the UN agency, these are decreasing, but at a rate that would only eliminate this “violation of children’s rights” in 300 years. Unicef is also worried about a convergence of crises which risks reversing this trend.
“We have undoubtedly made progress in abandoning the practice of child marriage, particularly in the last ten years. But this progress is not enough,” said Claudia Cappa, lead author of a report released on Tuesday. According to Unicef estimates, 640 million girls and women today were married when they were under 18 years old. However, over the past 25 years, 68 million of these marriages have been averted.
A 20 times faster drop is needed
In 1997, 25% of young women aged 20 to 24 had been married before the age of 18, 23% in 2012, 19% in 2022. “At this rate, we would have to wait 300 years to eliminate child marriage,” said commented Claudia Cappa, noting that these marriages mainly concern girls between the ages of 12 and 17.
At the current rate, the number of girl child marriages is expected to still exceed 9 million per year in 2030 (compared to around 12 million today), according to Unicef, which estimates that a decline nearly 20 times faster is needed to reach the goal of eliminating this practice by the end of the decade.
The agency further fears that the convergence of Covid-19, conflict and the growing impacts of climate change “will reverse hard-won progress”. The pandemic could thus be responsible between 2020 and 2030 for 10 million additional underage marriages.
“The world is overrun with crises that add to other crises, destroying the hopes and dreams of vulnerable children, especially girls who should be students and not brides,” said the boss. from Unicef Catherine Russell. Crises “that force families to seek a false sense of security” by marrying off their daughters.
Southeast Asia driving the decline
According to the report, child marriage “is often seen by families as a measure of ‘protection’ for girls, financial, social, even physical protection”. A way also to have one less mouth to feed. Moreover, it is in the richest families that progress is greatest.
Geographically, Southeast Asia is driving the decline in girl marriages. Despite everything, the region still accounts for around 45% of the 640 million women married before the age of 18. India alone accounts for a third. UNICEF is particularly concerned about the situation in sub-Saharan Africa, a region where girls are now most at risk of being married before their 18th birthday. With population growth, the number of very young brides is expected to increase by 10% by 2030.