UNICEF supports children and families in emergencies
Click to close the emergency alert banner.
21 March 2022

Adoption of the Declaration on the Abolition of Child Marriage in Serbia

On 10 March 2022, thanks in part to UNICEF’s advocacy efforts, the National Council of the Roma National Minority adopted the Declaration on the Abolition of Child Marriage. It was adopted because of the consensus reached by Roma leaders. This is the first time that a national representative body of the Roma minor...
24 June 2021

10 million additional girls at risk of child marriage due to COVID-19

NEW YORK, 8 March 2021 , –, , Ten million additional child marriages may occur before the end of the decade, threatening years of progress in reducing the practice, according to a new analysis released by UNICEF today. COVID-19: A threat to progress against child marriage – released on International Women’s Day ...
26 November 2019

I never said “YES”

Aisuluu, 42, was abducted and forced to marry when she was just 17 years old while studying to be a teacher in Bishkek the capital city of Kyrgyzstan. Aisuluu, 42, was abducted and forced to marry when she was just 17 years old while studying to be a teacher in Bishkek the capital city of Kyrgyzstan., BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, , – , She enters the room, walking fast and with confidence. Aisuluu, 42, is a successful international trainer and coach fro...
11 February 2019

Fast Facts: 10 facts illustrating why we must #EndChildMarriage

Download the video of a child bride meeting her new husband here ., Globally, 1 in 5 women were married before their 18th birthday, When a girl is forced to marry as a child, she faces immediate and lifelong consequences. Her odds of finishing school decrease while her odds of experiencing domestic violence incre...
02 March 2018

25 million child marriages prevented in last decade due to accelerated progress, according to new UNICEF estimates

NEW YORK, 6 March 2018, – The prevalence of child marriage is decreasing globally with several countries seeing significant reductions in recent years, UNICEF said today. Overall, the proportion of women who were married as children decreased by 15 per cent in the last decade, from one in four to approximately one...
04 October 2017

Preventing child marriage

The challenge, Child marriage – a marriage or union before the age 18 – has a disproportionate impact on girls. It curtails their education, compromises their health, exposes them to violence and traps them in poverty, undermining their prospects and potential. Child marriages in parts of Europe and Central Asia ...