There are 650 million child brides alive today, found in every region of the world. Child marriage is a fundamental violation of human rights that has somber implications for the global economy, peace and security, and the achievement of global development goals. Many factors contribute to the continuation of this practice, including poverty, fragility, unjust legal systems, and harmful social norms and traditions. Even in countries with laws meant to protect children from marrying before the age of 18, social and cultural norms that affirm child marriage often persist in contravention of national laws. In the last decade, progress has been made to end this practice, including an estimated 25 million child marriages that were prevented, but there is still work to be done.
This report compiles research and data from four unique contexts—Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Senegal, and Uganda— where World Vision is working to address the issue of child marriage. In each of these countries, case studies were developed using firsthand accounts, a desk review of available data, and evidence of promising practices for the elimination of child marriage.