by JIMMY CARTER & FERNANDO HENRIQUE CARDOSO
There is, in fact, compelling evidence that child marriage has been a major brake on progress towards no less than six of the eight MDGs. Global hopes to reduce child and maternal mortality, combat HIV/AIDS, and achieve universal primary education are damaged by the fact that one in seven girls in the developing world – and it is overwhelmingly girls who suffer this fate – are married before they reach age 15. Child marriage also thwarts ambitions to eliminate extreme poverty and promote gender equality.
The statistics are stark. In poor countries, babies born to mothers under 18 are 60% more likely to die in their first year than those born to older women. Girls under 15 are five times more likely than women in their twenties to die during pregnancy and childbirth. Lack of information, marriage to much older men, and the inability to negotiate safe sexual practices also puts child brides at greater risk of HIV infection than their unmarried peers.
Project Syndicate for more