While there are differences in prevalence within and across countries, child marriage remains a universal challenge, and occurs across regions, cultures, and religions. The practice of marrying children is appalling and a grave violation of human rights, not least because it often amounts to giving men a license to rape, to put it bluntly. The causes of child marriage are complex and vary across communities. During the Ebola virus outbreak in 2014-16, West Africa saw a sharp increase in child marriage. The UNFPA estimates that the result will be 13 million additional cases of child marriage over the next ten years.

Source: Dhaka Tribune May 11, 2020 13:41 UTC