Source: Gender Links
Speaking at CSW58, Dr. Nicholas Alipui, Director of Programmes of UNICEF explains how child marriage contributes to gender inequality and puts girls' health and lives at risk.

Between 2011 and 2020, more than 140 million girls will become child brides, according to United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). If current levels of child marriages hold, 14.2 million girls annually or 39,000 daily will marry too young. Furthermore, of the 140 million girls who will marry before the age of 18, 50 million will be under the age of 15.

Child marriage is a global issue but rates vary dramatically, both within and between countries. In both proportions and numbers, most child marriages take place in rural sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

Girls throughout the SADC region remain vulnerable to harmful cultural attitudes, practices, and abuse. As a result, girls continue to have unequal access to education, health care and other services and face violence, forced early marriage, sexual exploitation, an increased burden of care and domestic responsibility due to the HIV and AIDS pandemic and a lack of power over their bodily integrity and their future.

Although there is extensive regional and international legislation protecting the rights of children it is clear that not much has been done to protect them from discrimination and harmful practices. Swazi lawmakers recently declared illegal the practice of men marrying underage girls, which had been an accepted social norm for centuries, while in Malawi there is a mounting campaign to end child marriage and educate society about the negative effects of forced and early marriage

This vodcast is part of the GL News Service special coverage of CSW58, offering fresh views on everyday news.