10 million girls face child marriage - UNICEF

The United Nations Children’s Fund on Monday said 10 million additional child marriages might occur before the end of the decade.

The agency said with the development, the gains of 25 million child marriages averted in the last decade was under serious threat.

UNICEF stated these in its analysis titled, ‘COVID-19: A threat to progress against child marriage,’ to commemorate the 2021 International Women’s Day.

The agency warned that “school closures, economic stress, service disruptions, pregnancy, and parental deaths due to COVID-19 pandemic are putting the most vulnerable girls at increased risk of child marriage.”

According to UNICEF, even before the COVID–19 outbreak, 100 million girls were at risk of child marriage in the next decade, despite significant reductions in several countries in recent years.

UNICEF Executive Director, Ms Henrietta Fore, said COVID–19 has made an already difficult situation for millions of girls worse.

She said, “Girls who marry in childhood face immediate and lifelong consequences as they are more likely to experience domestic violence and less likely to remain in school.”

She said, “COVID–19 is profoundly affecting the lives of girls. Pandemic-related travel restrictions and physical distancing make it difficult for girls to access the health care, social services and community support that protect them from child marriage, unwanted pregnancy and gender-based violence.

“As schools remain closed, girls are more likely to drop out of education and not return. Job losses and increased economic insecurity may also force families to marry their daughters to ease financial burdens.”

She added, “International Women’s Day is a key moment to remind ourselves of what these girls have to lose if we do not act urgently. By reopening schools, implementing effective laws and policies, ensuring access to health and social services – including sexual and reproductive health services – and providing comprehensive social protection measures for families, we can significantly reduce a girl’s risk of having her childhood stolen through child marriage.”