The United Nations has recently announced that every three seconds, a girl under the age of 18 is married somewhere in the world.
In a message posted today (Saturday, 14 February) on its X account, the organization wrote that child marriage is a violation of human rights that deprives girls of the opportunity to reach their full potential.
In part of its message marking 14 February, or Valentine’s Day, the United Nations called for support for the campaign to end child marriage.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) also stated that child marriage threatens girls’ lives and health and limits their future prospects.
The agency further emphasized: “Girls who are forced into marriage in childhood often become pregnant during adolescence, increasing the risk of pregnancy or childbirth complications — the leading cause of death among older adolescent girls. They are also more likely to experience physical or sexual violence from their partner.”
According to UNFPA statistics, globally, one in five girls is formally married or in an informal union before the age of 18.
The agency said it is estimated that 640 million girls and women alive today were married in childhood. Every year, 12 million adolescent girls marry before turning 18.
The phenomenon of child marriage in Afghanistan, as in other parts of the world, is common. It appears that due to current restrictions, underage marriage in Afghanistan has increased.
