Shocking figures released have shown that one girl under the age of 15 is marries every seven seconds.
The report by Save the Children says that girls as young as ten years old are marrying at the high rate to men who are usually much older than they are.
“Child marriage starts a cycle of disadvantage that denies girls the most basic rights to learn, develop and be children,” said Helle Thorning-Schmidt, International CEO of Save the Children.
In countries like Afghanistan, Yemen, India and Somalia, young girls are marrying at such a young age they are being neglected of a proper education and are also, often times, having children far before their bodies are physically developed enough to handle.
“Girls who marry too early often can’t attend school, and are more likely to face domestic violence, abuse and rape. They fall pregnant and are exposed to STIs including HIV," Thorning-Schmidt added.
"They also bear children before their bodies are fully prepared, which can have devastating consequences on their and their baby’s health.”
With conflict and poverty being among the contributing factors according to researchers, there are fears that the numbers are only going to continue getting worse.
UNICEF say the number of girls marrying during childhood is expected to grow from today’s figure of 700 million to roughly 950 million in 2030.
