Ending Child Marriage : Child Marriage Laws and their Limitations

Child marriage is defined as a formal or informal union before the age of 18. Child brides are at greater risk of experiencing a range of poor health outcomes, having children at younger ages when they are not yet ready to do so, dropping out of school, earning less over their lifetimes, and living in poverty compared to their peers who marry at later ages. These dynamics affect not only the girls themselves, but also their children and households, as well as communities and entire societies. Furthermore, in many countries, it remains legal to marry a girl before she turns 18, and even in countries where marriage before 18 is in principle illegal, too many girls continue to marry early. This brief summarizes findings from research undertaken by save the children and the World Bank on the lack of legal protection against child marriage for girls and marriages that take place below the national minimum age of marriage. The analysis suggests that many countries still do not effectively legally protect girls against child marriage, but also that legal reforms are not sufficient to end the practice as many girls marry illegally in countries where legal protections are in place. While protecting girls in the law against child marriage is an important first step, additional interventions are needed to prevent child marriage.