Child marriage should be history.
But every year, 12 million girls lose their childhoods to marriage.
Too many will be pulled from school, pushed deeper into poverty and trapped in endless cycles of abuse.
Ending this crisis means working with families and communities to open doors, offer protection and help every girl reach her potential.
Tell Congress: Childhood is NO time for marriage.
Every year, 12 million girls lose their childhoods to marriage. This devastating crisis is most prevalent in West and Central Africa, where 1 in 3 girls marry before their 18th birthday.
While drivers vary across countries and cultures, financial hardship forces many families to resort to child marriage. Others believe it's the best way to secure their daughters' futures.
But child brides are more likely to live in poverty, suffer worse health outcomes, lose their education and become trapped in cycles of abuse.
Each year, child marriage is associated with up to 190,000 deaths of children under 5 and 14,000 maternal deaths. The annual cost of this devastating practice – including lost earnings, deaths and health declines – amounts to as much as $175 billion.
As a Save the Children Action Network advocate for kids, I urge you to support no less than $20 million to Combat Child Marriage in the FY27 National Security and Related Programs Appropriations Bill.
To end child marriage, we must work with girls, boys, families and communities to open doors, provide protection and give every child a chance to achieve their potential.
