The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned that millions of girls remain exposed to child marriage and violence, urging governments to strengthen access to education and protection services.
The warning came as the world marked the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child on October 11, with UNICEF highlighting the need to end child marriage and invest in girls’ rights.
According to The Next Edition, UNICEF estimates that approximately 650 million women and girls alive today were married before turning 18, while more than 12 million girls enter marriage annually before reaching adulthood.
The agency said investments in girls’ education, legal reforms and social protection had helped avert an estimated 68 million child marriages over the past 25 years, demonstrating the impact of sustained interventions.
Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest prevalence of child marriage, at 31 per cent, according to the figures cited by UNICEF. The agency also warned that conflict, displacement and humanitarian crises increase girls’ exposure to early marriage, sexual violence and maternal health risks.
UNICEF further reported that adolescent girls are twice as likely as boys to be outside education, employment or training. In fragile and conflict-affected settings, girls are nearly 90 per cent more likely to be out of secondary school than their counterparts in stable environments.
The agency also raised concerns about violence against adolescent girls, estimating that nearly one in four ever-married or partnered girls aged 15 to 19 had experienced intimate partner violence in their lifetime.
It called for expanded access to schooling, healthcare and social services, alongside community efforts to challenge harmful norms and strengthen girls’ rights.
UNICEF warned that child marriage can have long-term consequences for girls’ physical and mental health, including anxiety, emotional distress and social isolation.
The agency urged governments and communities to intensify efforts to ensure that girls can continue their education, make decisions about their lives and grow up free from violence and early marriage.
