Marriage is a partnership between consenting adults and is usually binding in law. In early marriage (sometimes called child marriage) one or both of the people involved are under 18. Early marriage often happens under customary laws without any formal registration. It mostly affects girls, who may be coerced, tricked or forced into marrying against their will, but it affects boys too, albeit on a smaller scale. Early marriage is not specific to any country or region. It happens for many reasons, but the causes are usually complex. What is Early Marriage Married at an early age

1 One in seven girls in the developing world (excluding China) will be married before the age of If nothing changes, there will be 142 million child marriages in developing countries between now and That’s 37,000 girls a day. 3 Child brides have a pregnancy death rate double that of women in their 20s. 4 One-third of girls in the developing world will be married before the age of 18. Facts on Early Marriage 5 Girls from poor families are nearly twice as likely to marry before 18 than girls from wealthier families.

1 Half of all first births in the developing world are to adolescent girls. Age at First Birth 2 Medical complications from pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death among girls aged worldwide. 3 Girls between the ages of 10 and 14 are five times more likely to die in pregnancy or childbirth than women aged 20 to If a mother is under the age of 18, her infant’s risk of dying in its first year of life is 60 per cent greater than that of an infant born to a mother older than 19. Teen moms in Turkana

How Can Education Make a Difference  Education allows children and young people to make their own choices about their future and enter into marriage only when they choose to.  Free and compulsory education is a key factor in combating discrimination and helps to ensure that the child is at the center of educational laws and policies.  If the right to education is fulfilled, early marriage will no longer be a default choice for poorer parents who wish to safeguard their children’s future, in particular for girls.  When a girl in the developing world receives seven years of education, she marries four years later and has 2.2 fewer children. Esther’s class (top right)

At what age?..Report Promoting Rights in Schools Breaking Vows: Early and Forced Marriage and Girls’ Education and- Girls-Education Girls Not Brides PLAN - Because I am a Girl project International Center for Research on Women Other Resources

References Used in this Presentation 1.Right to Education Project, The Girl Effect Factsheet, Young women who want an education