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Ending child marriage

How World Vision works to stop forced marriage and help child brides

Children are being exploited

The sad reality is - by the time you finish this sentence, another child will have been forced into a marriage.

Childhood marriage affects children - mainly girls - around the world. It strips them of their freedom and their right to education, and it puts their lives in danger. There isn't just one cause of child marriage, which is why it takes a lot of work to put a stop to it. It happens across religions, cultures and countries and can be caused by poverty, lack of access to education, and cultural, social, and gender norms. Almost all of the top 25 countries with the highest rates of child marriage are affected by natural disasters, fragility, or conflict.

For over 70 years, World Vision has been working in these countries to end child marriage. We tackle the root causes like family poverty and work with families and communities, highlighting a girl's worth and raising awareness of the terrible effects being forced to marry as children can have on young people’s lives.

How we're tackling childhood marriage

End child marriage today, help a girl for life.

Support World Vision to tackle the root causes of child marriage and keep girls in school.

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Child brides: How gender inequality affects child marriage

Although it does affect boys, too, young girls are at a much higher risk of forced marriage, usually being paired with an older man. Girls can be forced into marriage because of poverty, for their own perceived protection in situations like wars or natural disasters caused by climate change, or because they aren’t seen as equal to boys in their society, sometimes even seen as a financial burden.

For many young girls, getting married seems like the only way to survive, but the consequences of child marriage can be dire and far-reaching:

You can help children like Karima be protected today and empowered for tomorrow.

Support World Vision’s work to help girls have a bright future.

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Personal stories of forced child marriage

Discover more about our work to end child marriage

Together, we can end child marriage

Child Marriage FAQs

  • Child marriage occurs when someone under 18 years old marries an adult or another child. It is a human rights violation since children cannot legally consent. It primarily affects girls, but also impacts boys. The UN aim to end this practice globally by 2030, with organisations like World Vision working with communities toward this goal.

  • Forced child marriage harms both physical and emotional health, disrupting a child’s education and development and perpetuating a cycle of poverty. Children are often also isolated from their family and friends. Child brides are forced into adult roles – giving birth, keeping a home and raising children long whilst they themselves are still children. Other impacts include:

    Loss of Education – Girls who marry young are often forced to drop out of school to focus on domestic duties and child-rearing, limiting their work opportunities and their chance of financial independence. 

    Health Risks – Young brides face high rates of pregnancy complications, which can even be fatal due to limited healthcare and impoverished areas. 

    Poverty – Childhood marriage perpetuates issues such as lack of education and hardships to become financially independent, making it even harder for girls who are forced to marry young to escape the cycle of poverty.

  • A common misconception is that childhood marriage is always caused by uncaring and abusive parents or predatory older men. The reality is that issues such as poverty, lack of education and cultural beliefs about women’s role are also key drivers. Some of the primary causes of child marriage are: 

    Gender Inequality – Sadly, in many societies, girls are not seen as equal to boys and are viewed primarily as homekeepers, wives and mothers.

    Poverty – Child marriage rates can be tied to low economic development. For parents living in extreme poverty or with several mouths to feed, marriage can be seen as offering financial relief, with dowries and bride prices providing a source of income in hard times.

    Lack of Awareness – Many communities simply do not understand the risks of early marriage and the significance of the consequences.

    Crisis Situations – When disaster strikes in vulnerable countries, children are often tragically left without parents to support and protect them - and no family to care for them. For many young girls, getting married seems like the only way to survive - providing food and shelter, or when a girl has been forced to flee her home, a husband could be seen as able to provide protection from assault.

    Weak Enforcement - Even where laws exist against child marriage, deep-rooted traditions of the practice can make it hard for laws to be enforced and exceptions to be made.

Read more child marriage FAQs