Each year, childhood ends for an estimated 15 million girls around the world who marry before the age of 18, according to the International Centre for Research on Women (ICRW). South Asia has the largest concentration of child brides, but early marriage is a global phenomenon.
Girls living in poverty are more susceptible, and by marrying so young, research shows, girls perpetuate the cycle of poverty. UNICEF says they typically drop out of school and as a result, face poor job prospects.
“I couldn’t go to school because of the war,” says Ola, a Syrian refugee who was married at 14 years. “We had to stay at home, the schools closed. I studied only until 6th grade.”
The Syrian war has created a vortex of conditions, such as displacement and poverty as well as fears about the so-called “honour” and safety of girls that have prompted families to marry off their daughters.
