Action needed now to end child marriage

from Inspiring Impact: Zonta Foundation for Women Quarterly Report

40 YEARS Inspiring Impact: Zonta Foundation for Women Quarterly Report

Zonta International has partnered with the UNFPA UNICEF Global Programme to End Child Marriage through Phases I (2018) and II (2020-2024) of the program. Now as we continue our partnership into Phase III, Zonta International has committed US$1.5 million to end this human rights violation.

The Global Programme targets 12 countries which are home to almost half of the world’s child brides (300 million). In 2022, the Global Programme achieved the following results with the support of Zonta International and other partners:

More than 6 million adolescent girls (aged 10–19) actively participated in lifeskills or comprehensive sexuality education interventions
161,446 girls (aged 10–19) were supported by the programme to enroll and/or remain in primary or secondary school
More than 4 million boys and men actively participated in group education/dialogues that address harmful masculinities and gender norms
More than 16 million individuals (boys, girls, women and men) participated in group education/dialogue sessions on consequences of and alternatives to child marriage, the rights of adolescent girls and gender equality.
825,677 traditional, religious and community leaders participated in meaningful dialogues and consensus-building to end child marriage.

The global prevalence of child marriage has dropped from 23% to 19% in the last 10 years, although 1 in 5 girls are still married in childhood, and this number is declining too slowly over time. Overall global progress would need to be 20 times faster to eliminate child marriage by 2030. The United States in the last year now has 13 states of 50 who have passed legislation to end child marriage. Progress is possible and we will persist on.

Look for more updates in the future about the Global Programme to End Child Marriage in addition to these two incredible projects below.