Child Marriage

“A report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) states that more than 650 million women and girls alive today were married before turning 18.

More than half 55.11% of women in sub-Saharan Africa are married at a young age less than 18 years old.

Among them, Eastern and Southern Africa is home to about 32%. With 17.3 million early-married women, Ethiopia is the leading country in the region” (Gelchu et al, 2024)..

“Child marriage represents planned poverty—a cruel fate, one I vehemently oppose for Khadija.”

— Jaha Dukureh

“Forced marriage is nothing more than rape, and despite the sick fantasies some men have, no girl or woman enjoys rape. It is a violation, degradation, and the ultimate form of violence.” -Jaha Dukureh

A modern wooden house with a flat roof, situated on a grassy hillside with tall grass in the foreground. There are a few small trees near the house. In the background, a large body of water extends towards distant mountains with mist and clouds around their peaks. The sky is overcast with soft, pastel colors.