And Whether Child Marriage Protects Girls—or Protects Society From Responsibility Globally, child marriage is not a fringe practice. According to widely cited international data, around 12 million girls are married before the age of 18 every year. The vast majority of these marriages involve girls married to older men. Boys are affected too—but at a fraction of the rate. This disparity forces a...
This article is a companion to our broader exploration of why child marriage still exists globally and why efforts to ban it often meet fierce resistance. One question comes up again and again: Is child marriage more common among girls? The answer is yes. Globally, the vast majority of child marriages involve young girls married to older men. This is not incidental, and it is not simply a matter...
Child marriage is widely condemned. International organizations denounce it. Laws are passed to ban it. Campaigns urge its end. And yet, it persists. Across regions, cultures, and belief systems, child marriage continues — sometimes openly, sometimes underground, often fiercely defended. The common explanation is ignorance or cruelty. But that explanation doesn’t hold up. Because many of the...
