“I cried when my dad told me to get married,” said Alice.

She is a teenage girl and refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo living in Uganda who spoke with New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristoff.

“But when the food aid got cut off, he said I had to marry.”

Every 3 seconds, a girl is married – often before she’s ready, to someone she hasn’t met, or without her say.

We believe girls have the right to make decisions for their futures and we’re leading the fight to end child marriage once and for all. And we want to know where you stand. If you believe it’s important to end child marriage, please make a gift today, on behalf of girls everywhere.

MAKE A GIFT

 
Sisters, Faziri,16 (left) and Ishara,18 (right) received information from UNFPA staff on sexual and reproductive health services, including support to say no to child marriage, at a displacement camp in the DRC.

Child marriage is closely linked with teenage pregnancy and 90% of teenage mothers worldwide are married.

But even when girls are not forcibly married, funding cuts and limited access to essential sexual and reproductive health services increase teenage pregnancies and push girls into motherhood before they are ready — too often with deadly consequences. The leading cause of death for girls aged 15-19 globally are pregnancy and childbirth complications.

In Latin America and the Caribbean alone, a girl gives birth every 20 seconds, amounting to 1.6 million new teenage mothers each year.

More than 20,000 girls in Mexico received sexual health education and access to care from UNFPA to help end child marriage and prevent teenage pregnancies.

Across the world, UNFPA is working toward a future where girls can make decisions for their bodies and futures and reach their fullest potential.

Yet today, too many girls like Alice face obstacles like child marriage, teenage pregnancy, and limited opportunities.

In a refugee camp where Alice lives, recent aid cuts have caused 70% of families like hers to lose their food assistance.

When families face economic hardship, girls suffer the most. They are pulled out of school, given less to eat, exposed to sexual violence, and can be forced into child marriage.

When Alice’s father, Twagira, was asked why he forced her into child marriage, the answer was clear: “It was important for her to get married because we were broke. If aid was still coming, Alice would remain with us.”

Aid cuts are impacting our work across the globe, and we’re deciding which services to prioritize. So, we are asking dedicated supporters like you: Will you make a gift toward our work to help end child marriage?

MAKE A GIFT

Gifts from supporters like you have powered efforts to put girls in control of their lives by providing access to sexual health education, contraceptives, child marriage reporting services, and income-generating skills sessions at UNFPA Safe Spaces. 

We also support governments in enforcing laws against child marriage and engage families to protect the health and rights of their daughters, no matter the circumstances.

We know a world that supports girls is a world where everyone thrives. But they need your help: Make a gift to help keep girls safe from child marriage.

Thanks for being there.

— USA for UNFPA