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In a message ahead of the International Day of the Girl Child, the UN chief warned that funding cuts threaten progress against child marriage.
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UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called on governments, businesses, civil society and community leaders to invest more in efforts to end child marriage. His message was published on 2 October ahead of the International Day of the Girl Child on 11 October. [1]
Guterres said one in five girls worldwide is married before the age of 18, and that a child marriage takes place every three seconds. He said the practice harms girls’ education, health and safety, while conflict, climate shocks and displacement increase the risk. [1]
He urged action to keep girls in school, improve families’ economic opportunities, strengthen social and legal protections, and challenge discriminatory gender norms. He estimated that such measures had prevented 68 million child marriages over the past 25 years. [1]
Guterres warned that recent funding cuts threaten progress and said that, at the current rate, eliminating child marriage would take centuries. [1]
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