Editing Child marriage (section)

{{Short description|Marriage with someone under the legal age}}
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'''Child marriage''' is a practice involving a [[marriage]] or [[domestic partnership]], formal or informal, that includes an individual under 18 and an adult or other child.<ref name="Definitions">* {{Cite journal |last1=Gastón |first1=Colleen Murray |last2=Misunas |first2=Christina |last3=Cappa |year=2019 |title=Child marriage among boys: a global overview of available data |journal=Vulnerable Children and Youth Studies |volume=14 |issue=3 |pages=219–228 |doi=10.1080/17450128.2019.1566584 |doi-access=free}}
* {{cite web |date=March 2020 |title=Child marriage |url=https://www.unicef.org/protection/child-marriage |work=[[UNICEF]] |quote=Child marriage refers to any formal marriage or informal union between a child under the age of 18 and an adult or another child.}}
* {{cite web |title=Child Marriage |url=http://www.icrw.org/what-we-do/adolescents/child-marriage |work=icrw.org}}
* {{Cite news |title=Child Marriage – Rationale, Historical Views, And Consequences |url=http://www.worldatlas.com/articles/child-marriage-rationale-historical-views-and-consequences.html |access-date=2017-09-10 |work=WorldAtlas |language=en}}</ref>

Research has found that child marriages have many long-term negative consequences for child brides and grooms.<ref name="Parsons">{{Cite journal |last1=Parsons |first1=Jennifer |last2=Edmeades |first2=Jeffrey |last3=Aslihan |first3=Kes |last4=Petroni |first4=Suzanne |last5=Sexton |first5=Maggie |last6=Wodon |first6=Quentin |year=2015 |title=Economic Impacts of Child Marriage: A Review of the Literature |journal=The Review of Faith & International Affairs |volume=13 |issue=3 |pages=12–22 |doi=10.1080/15570274.2015.1075757 |s2cid=146194521 |hdl-access=free |hdl=10.1080/15570274.2015.1075757}}</ref><ref name="Gastón">{{Cite journal |last1=Gastón |first1=Colleen Murray |last2=Misunas |first2=Christina |last3=Cappa |year=2019 |title=Child marriage among boys: a global overview of available data |journal=Vulnerable Children and Youth Studies |volume=14 |issue=3 |pages=219–228 |doi=10.1080/17450128.2019.1566584 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Girls who marry as children often lack access to education and future career opportunities.<ref name="Parsons" /> It is also common for them to have [[adverse health effects]] resulting from early pregnancy and [[childbirth]]. Effects on child grooms may include the economic pressure of providing for a household and various constraints in educational and career opportunities.<ref name="Gastón" /> Child marriage is part of the practice of child [[betrothal]], often including civil [[cohabitation]] and a court approval of the engagement.<ref name="cohabitation" /><ref name="cohabitteen" /> Some factors that encourage child marriages include poverty, [[bride price]], [[dowry|dowries]], [[Tradition|cultural traditions]], [[religious]] and [[social pressure]], regional customs, fear of the child remaining unmarried into adulthood, [[Literacy|illiteracy]], and the perceived inability of women to work.<ref name="Child Marriage">{{cite web |date=March 2020 |title=Child marriage |url=https://www.unicef.org/protection/child-marriage |work=[[UNICEF]]}}</ref><ref name="icrwchild">{{cite web|url=http://www.icrw.org/what-we-do/adolescents/child-marriage|title=Child Marriage|work=icrw.org}}</ref><ref name="africachild" /> 

Research indicates that [[comprehensive sex education]] can prevent child marriages.<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0026/002607/260770e.pdf|title=International technical guidance on sexuality education: an evidence-informed approach|publisher=UNESCO|year=2018|isbn=978-92-3-100259-5|location=Paris|page=13}}</ref> The rate of child marriages can also be reduced by strengthening [[rural communities]]' education systems. [[Rural Development Programme|Rural development programs]] that provide basic [[infrastructure]], including [[Health care|healthcare]], clean water, and [[sanitation]], may aid families financially.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Fatima |first=Sana |date=2023-01-19 |title=Rural Development and Education: Critical Strategies for Ending Child Marriages |url=https://papers.ssrn.com/abstract=4329240 |journal=Archives of the Social Sciences: A Journal of Collaborative Memory |language=en |location=Pakistan |volume=1 |issue=1 |pages=1–15|ssrn=4329240 }}</ref> Child marriages have historically been common and continue to be widespread, particularly in [[Developing country|developing nations]] in Africa,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://allafrica.com/stories/201308050251.html|title=Africa: Child Brides Die Young |work=[[AllAfrica]]}}</ref><ref name="unfpa.org">{{cite web|title=Marrying Too Young: End Child Marriage |url=http://www.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/MarryingTooYoung.pdf|publisher=[[United Nations Population Fund|UNFPA]]|page=23}}</ref> [[South Asia]],<ref>[http://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/digest7e.pdf Early Marriage, Child Spouses] UNICEF, See section on Asia, page 4 (2001)</ref> [[Southeast Asia]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.plan.org.au/News/2013/08/20/Child-Marriage-in-Southeast-Asia.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131003043715/http://www.plan.org.au/News/2013/08/20/Child-Marriage-in-Southeast-Asia.aspx|archive-date=3 October 2013|title=Southeast Asia's big dilemma: what to do about child marriage?|publisher=Plan International Australia|date=20 August 2013|access-date=2016-07-10}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.irinnews.org/report/87873/philippines-early-marriage-puts-girls-at-risk|title=IRIN Asia – PHILIPPINES: Early marriage puts girls at risk – Philippines – Gender Issues – Health & Nutrition – Human Rights|newspaper=Irinnews |agency=The New Humanitarian|date=26 January 2010}}</ref> [[West Asia]],<ref name="pbs2010" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sfgate.com/opinion/brinkley/article/Child-marriage-still-an-issue-in-Saudi-Arabia-3270366.php|title=Child marriage still an issue in Saudi Arabia|work=San Francisco Chronicle|date=14 March 2010}}</ref> [[Latin America]],<ref name="pbs2010">{{cite web|date=12 October 2007|title=Child Brides – Child Marriage: What We Know|url=https://www.pbs.org/now/shows/341/facts.html|publisher=[[PBS]]}}</ref> and [[Oceania]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/digest7e.pdf |title=Early Marriage, Child Spouses |publisher=UNICEF |page=5}} (See section on Oceania.)</ref> However, developed nations also face a lack of protections for children. In the United States, for instance, [[Child marriage in the United States|child marriage is still legal in 37 states]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Oladipo |first=Gloria |date=2023-07-12 |title=Michigan governor signs 'overdue' laws that aim to end child marriage |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jul/12/michigan-child-marriage-law-signed |access-date=2023-09-14 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Connecticut becomes the 9th state to outlaw child marriage |url=https://www.wbur.org/news/2023/06/26/connecticut-child-marriage |access-date=2023-07-11 |website=www.wbur.org |date=26 June 2023 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":9">{{Cite web |last=Writer |first=Katherine Fung Senior |date=2024-04-09 |title=Map shows 12 states that allow child marriage after Virginia passes law |url=https://www.newsweek.com/child-marriage-ban-state-map-virginia-law-1888471 |access-date=2024-04-09 |website=Newsweek |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":10">{{Cite web |date=2024-06-18 |title=NH outlaws child marriage, raising the legal age to 18 |url=https://www.nhpr.org/nh-news/2024-06-18/nh-outlaws-child-marriage-raising-the-legal-age-to-18 |access-date=2025-04-02 |website=New Hampshire Public Radio |language=en}}</ref> Although the [[age of majority]] (legal [[adulthood]]) and [[marriageable age|marriage age]] are typically 18 years old, these thresholds can differ in different [[Jurisdiction|jurisdictions]].<ref name="Gastón" /> In some regions, the legal age for marriage can be as young as 14, with cultural [[Tradition|traditions]] sometimes superseding legal [[Stipulation|stipulations]]. Additionally, jurisdictions may allow [[Loophole|loopholes]] for parental/guardian consent or [[teenage pregnancy]].<ref name="Nour child marriage" />

Child marriage is increasingly viewed as a form of [[child sexual abuse]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Mikhail |first=Susanne Louis B. |date=March 1, 2002 |title=Child marriage and child prostitution: Two forms of sexual exploitation |journal=[[Gender & Development]] |volume=10 |issue=1 |pages=43–49 |doi=10.1080/13552070215896 |issn=1355-2074 |s2cid=72419331}}</ref> It is an internationally recognized health and human rights violation disproportionately affecting girls, globally.<ref name="ArchivesofDiseaseinChildhood2010">{{Cite journal |last=Raj |first=Anita |author-link=Anita Raj (academic) |date=November 1, 2010 |title=When the mother is a child: the impact of child marriage on the health and human rights of girls |url=https://adc.bmj.com/content/95/11/931 |journal=Archives of Disease in Childhood |language=en |volume=95 |issue=11 |pages=931–935 |doi=10.1136/adc.2009.178707 |issn=0003-9888 |pmid=20930011 |s2cid=41625496}}</ref> It is described by experts as [[torture]]; [[cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment]]; and contrary to [[human rights]].<ref name="Definitions" /> The [[Committee on the Rights of the Child]] "reaffirms that the minimum age limit should be 18 years for marriage."<ref name="HRWSeptember20232">{{cite news |date=7 September 2023 |title=How Do US States Measure Up on Child Rights? |url=https://www.hrw.org/feature/2022/09/13/how-do-states-measure-up-child-rights |access-date=13 October 2024 |publisher=[[Human Rights Watch]]}}</ref>

Child marriage has been decreasing in prevalence in most of the world. [[UNICEF]] data from 2018 showed that about 21% of young women worldwide (aged 20 to 24) were married as children. This shows a 25% decrease from 10 years prior.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.unicef.org/resources/child-marriage-latest-trends-and-future-prospects/|title=Child Marriage: Latest trends and future prospects|date=5 July 2018|website=UNICEF DATA|language=en-US|access-date=2019-06-19}}</ref> The countries with the highest known rates of child marriages were [[Niger]], [[Chad]], [[Mali]], [[Bangladesh]], [[Guinea]], the [[Central African Republic]], [[Mozambique]] and [[Nepal]], all of which had rates above 50% between 1998 and 2007.<ref name="unicef12a" /> According to studies conducted between 2003 and 2009, the marriage rate of girls under 15 years old was greater than 20% in Niger, Chad, Bangladesh, Mali, and Ethiopia.<ref>[https://www.economist.com/blogs/dailychart/2011/02/child_brides Child brides – For poorer, most of the time] ''The Economist'' (28 February 2011)</ref><ref>[http://www.fordfoundation.org/2011-annual/youth-sexuality-and-rights/map/#/married-by-15/Niger Child Marriage] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924014524/http://www.fordfoundation.org/2011-annual/youth-sexuality-and-rights/map/#/married-by-15/Niger |date=24 September 2015}} Ford Foundation (2011)</ref> Each year, an estimated 12 million girls globally are married under the age of 18.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-childmarriage-reform-idUSKCN1MZ024|title=Child brides call on U.S. states to end 'legal rape'|date=25 October 2018|work=Reuters|access-date=2020-01-22|language=en}}</ref><!-- Opportunity to update content -->
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