Plan Launches Campaign to End Child Marriage on International Day of the Girl

Every Three Seconds, a Girl Is Married...
"Girls Should Be Children, Not Wives"

Plan International Korea, a global relief and development NGO (hereafter referred to as Plan), announced that on October 11, in recognition of the International Day of the Girl, it will carry out various activities to raise awareness about the severity of child marriage and to protect the rights of girls both worldwide and in Korea.

Every year, to commemorate the International Day of the Girl, Plan conducts global research and campaigns and publishes the "State of the World's Girls Report" to present the current status and realities faced by girls. This year, under the title "Let me be a child not a wife," the report features the voices of 251 girls and young women from 15 countries who have experienced child marriage. The report highlights the negative impacts of child marriage on girls' lives, including interruption of education, deteriorating health, economic dependency, and social isolation, and calls for urgent action.

According to the report released by Plan, approximately 12 million girls under the age of 18 are married each year worldwide, which means that every three seconds, one girl is married at a young age. Child marriage prevents girls from attending school, exposes them to violence, and has serious effects on their mental and physical health. Ultimately, it robs girls of their childhood and deprives them of opportunities to realize their potential.

In this regard, Plan is urging governments, NGOs, community leaders, sponsors, the media, and educators to: expand investment in programs that change harmful social beliefs and practices leading to child marriage; strengthen the protection of rights and access to services for married girls and those at risk of child marriage; provide support and funding for girl leaders and youth activists; and prevent child marriage through the implementation of strong laws and policies.

This year as well, Plan is conducting the global #EndChildMarriage campaign, and in Korea, it is running a fundraising campaign called "The Saddest Invitation in the World" to stop child marriage. In addition, anyone can participate in an SNS hashtag event to support ending child marriage for girls. Participants can join the campaign by making an "equal (=) gesture" with their hands to support equality, taking a photo, and posting it with the designated hashtag. Through these efforts, more people can become aware of girls' rights and the issue of child marriage, and take action.

A Plan representative stated, "Child marriage is a serious violation of children's rights that steals the future of girls," and added, "On the occasion of the International Day of the Girl, we ask for the interest and participation of many people so that girls can choose the life they want and achieve their dreams."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.