Too Young to Wed: The Lives, Rights and Health of Young Married Girls

Published by the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) in 2003, this 16-page paper aims to examine issues related to early marriage and offer policy and programmatic recommendations to end the practice.

From the Conclusion
"Despite international agreements and national laws to the contrary, the practice of marrying girls below the age of 18 is prevalent in many parts of the world and affects the lives of millions of young girls. As a result, girls—even when they are still children—often are defined solely as wives and mothers and are exposed to responsibilities and risks for which they are often not physically or mentally prepared. When married young, girls lose the opportunities for education, employment, or other important experiences for the duration of their lives. The negative developmental consequences that early marriage has in the realms of health, welfare, and economics not only affect girls and their children, but also societies as a whole.

In many countries, a combination of tradition, poverty, and lack of opportunity put a large number of young people “at-risk” for early marriage. Increased policy and program attention toward young people is therefore critically needed and warranted. Although early marriage remains a pervasive practice, there is evidence that social and economic investments can make a significant difference in improving the life options of young people.

Fortunately, many governments, NGOs, and development agencies are recognizing the need—often as part of overall efforts to improve development outcomes—to address the problem of early marriage through a range of policy and programmatic solutions. These efforts are targeted both at delaying marriage and at equipping those who are married young with increased access to the information, resources, skills, and services they need to deal with their situation. It is clear that programmatic and policy actions need to address not only the legal basis of early marriage, but also its social and economic underpinnings. Continued effort should be made to understand the needs of girls and their families, as well as the types of innovative, targeted strategies that can effectively counter the practice of early marriage."