Anjali Sharma
GG News Bureau
UNITED NATIONS, 15th Feb. UN Population Fund on Wednesday using the occasion of Valentine’s Day on 14 February to raise awareness about child marriage.
UNFPA recalled that each year, 12 million girls become brides before they turn 18.
The annual commemoration of Valentine day is a celebration of love, romance and commitment – a time, perhaps, to get engaged or married, the agency noted
It has run a Valentine’s Day campaign that calls on the international community to “say #IDONT to show support for girls the world over who say ‘I do’ against their will,” since 2015.
Child marriage defined as a marriage or union where either or both spouses are younger than 18 is most prevalent in low- and middle-income countries but occurs in all corners of the world, UNFPA stated.
The agency noted that many child brides are forced to leave school, exposed to violence and become mothers before they are ready physically or emotionally.
Ending child marriage is also part of the Sustainable Development Goals which have a deadline of 2030.
UNFPA warned that if progress towards ending child marriage is not accelerated, over 150 million girls will become brides too young.
