More than 700M women were married before their 18th birthday. Child marriage is an expression of gender inequality, reflecting social norms that perpetuate discrimination against girls. Child brides are vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections, along with early pregnancy and limited opportunities for education and employment. Additionally, girls are often married to significantly older men. In Mauritania and Nigeria, more than half of adolescent girls are married to husbands who are 10 or more years older than they are.
As developing countries begin seeking greater economic expansion, they may turn to increasing their labor force, meaning greater economic opportunities for women. The conflict between tradition and Western-style modernity, however, is clearly still playing itself out.
More than 700M women were married before their 18th birthday. Child marriage is an expression of gender inequality, reflecting social norms that perpetuate discrimination against girls. Child brides are vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections, along with early pregnancy and limited opportunities for education and employment. Additionally, girls are often married to significantly older men. In Mauritania and Nigeria, more than half of adolescent girls are married to husbands who are 10 or more years older than they are.
As developing countries begin seeking greater economic expansion, they may turn to increasing their labor force, meaning greater economic opportunities for women. The conflict between tradition and Western-style modernity, however, is clearly still playing itself out.