"300 Million 'Girl Brides' in South Asia Alone... Frequent Forced Child Marriages"

An estimate has been released that the number of 'girl brides' in South Asia reaches 290 million. Among these girl brides, it is known that many were forced into early marriage due to financial pressures and school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On the 20th (local time), the Pakistani daily Dawn reported this, citing the estimate of the number of girl brides released the day before by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

[Photo by EPA·Yonhap News]

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UNICEF stated that South Asia accounts for 45% of the world's current girl brides and called for the eradication of the early marriage custom.

Noella Skinner, UNICEF's South Asia Regional Director, pointed out, "The fact that South Asia bears the heaviest burden of girl marriages in the world is nothing short of a tragedy," adding, "Early marriage distances girls from education, endangers their health and happiness, and jeopardizes their future."

According to research reflecting interviews and discussions conducted by UNICEF in 16 locations across Bangladesh, India, and Nepal, many parents in the region considered early marriage the best option for their daughters who had limited opportunities to study during the COVID-19 restrictions such as school closures.

Regarding the minimum legal marriage age in South Asian countries, Nepal is 20 years old, India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh are 18 years old, and Afghanistan is 16 years old. In Pakistan, only Sindh province has a minimum age of 18, while other regions have 16.

UNICEF Early Marriage Eradication Campaign.
[Photo by UNICEF·Yonhap News]

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The UNICEF research also revealed that families with daughters were forced by financial pressures during the COVID-19 pandemic to marry off their young daughters.

UNICEF cited social measures to eradicate poverty and the protection of educational rights for all children as solutions to the early marriage problem derived from the discussions.

A representative from the United Nations Population Fund Asia-Pacific office said, "Through education including comprehensive sex education, girls should be empowered and equipped with skills, while creating an environment where local communities can cooperate to eradicate the custom of early marriage."

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