Child marriage is a violation of child rights, compromising the development of girls and often resulting in premature pregnancy and social isolation. Despite international commitment to change, many societies and communities continue the marriage of their young daughters and sons due to strong social pressures at the community level.

Worldwide, more than 60 million women aged 20–24 were married before they reached the age of 18. In the developing world excluding China, the latest international estimates indicate that 36 per cent of women aged 20–24 were married or in union before the age of 18. In some regions, the incidence of child marriage is particularly high, at 49 per cent in South Asia, and 44 per cent in West and Central Africa, according to the latest estimates.