Simuka Africa Organizational Verification

Every year, at least 12 million girls are married before they reach the age of 18. Because poverty is one of the main driving factors behind child marriage, the phenomenon is most widespread in low- and middle-income countries, where 26.7 per cent of young women were child brides. The practice is also particularly widespread in conflict-affected countries and humanitarian settings.

• Child marriage, or early marriage, is any marriage where at least one of the parties is under 18 years of age.

Rates vary by country and region. West and Central Africa have the highest rate of child marriage, with four-in-10 girls married before age 18, while South Asia is home to the largest total number of child brides. In terms of absolute numbers, India has the most child marriages – in 47 per cent of all marriages there, the bride is a child. However, child marriage can be found everywhere, even in high-income countries.

• Worldwide, there are more than 700 million women and girls alive today who were married before their 18th birthday. 

Child marriage destroys lives and is gradually known as a violation of the rights of girls as it interferes with their education, slabs them of  opportunities in different areas of their lives, and increases their risk of exposure to sexual violence and HIV.We as human beings must take a stand to stop child marriage whenever and wherever we see it. 

• “We must act with urgency and commitment to end child marriage. And we must tackle its root cause: gender inequality. If all girls completed secondary school, child marriage would fall by 66 per cent." - Dr. Natalia Kanem, UNFPA Executive Director

Despite the various international, continental, regional, and domestic legislation that prohibit child marriages, the practice is still rampant. While 158 countries have set the legal age for marriage at 18 years, laws are rarely enforced since the practice of marrying young children is upheld by tradition and social norms. Child marriage is still a serious human rights issue in Shamva district and other parts of Zimbabwe, which further impacts our nation's efforts to improve the lives of us all.

This is why Simuka Africa Youth Association is fully dedicated in helping child marriage survivors to attain the resources necessary to go back to school. Together we can build a resilient future.