Unicef reports one in five girls worldwide married before age 18
UNICEF reports that nearly 650 million living women were married as children, with over 12 million underaged girls married each year worldwide.
Approximately 650 million living women and girls were married before reaching adulthood, according to data highlighted by UNICEF Italy for the International Day of the Girl Child. The United Nations agency reported that roughly one in five young women globally is forced or arranged into marriage before turning 18.
Each year, more than 12 million underaged girls are married, which translates to approximately one marriage every three seconds. Sub-Saharan Africa records the highest prevalence, where 31% of young women are affected by child marriage. To mark the occasion, UNICEF Italy relaunched its awareness campaign aimed at ending the practice and protecting young girls' rights globally.
Sources: ANSA.