UNICEF urges stronger efforts to eradicate child marriage and guarantee education for girls
UNICEF called on Friday for greater global efforts to end child marriages and provide quality education for all girls, emphasizing the importance of a multisectoral approach to target the root cause of child marriage.
The organization pointed out that child marriage remains a serious issue in Montenegro, particularly affecting girls from Roma and Egyptian communities. The 2018 study found that over one-third of Roma and Egyptian girls were already married or in union at the ages of 15 to 19.
According to UNICEF estimates, at least 12 million girls are married before the age of 18 every year and approximately 650 million women around the world are currently married, having been wed in childhood.
Countries with the highest rates of women being married before turning 18 include countries of Central Africa and Iraq, where the minimum age for marriage for girls has recently been lowered to 9 years.
The international legal regulations regarding child marriages include the Convention on Consent to Marriage, Minimum Age for Marriage and Registration of Marriages, which explicitly obligates countries to set a legal minimum age for marriage and no marriage shall be legally valid without the full and free consent of both parties.
UNICEF underscored the need for a comprehensive multi-sectoral approach to end child marriages, including support for communities, schools, social protection measures, and stronger legal protection. UNICEF Montenegro Representative Michele Servadei reiterated that letting girls gain full education “is key to ending child marriage,” as each additional year in school significantly reduces the likelihood of early marriage, giving them more opportunities and choices for the future.
Girls Not Brides, the international non-governmental organization for the elimination of child marriages, advocates for a right-based legal framework that promotes gender equality. The framework aims to give girls equal access to quality education, healthcare and employment opportunities, going beyond setting a minimum marriage age. The framework also seeks to address other related issues, including sexual and gender-based violence, child labor, trafficking and harmful practices such as dowry and female genital mutilation.