UNFPA-UNICEF Global Programme to End Child Marriage

Global momentum towards ending child marriage has never been stronger, with several resolutions by the United Nations General Assembly and the Human Rights Council urging countries to increase investments in eliminating the practice.

The UNFPA-UNICEF Global Programme to End Child Marriage promotes the rights of adolescent girls to avert marriage and pregnancy, and enables them to achieve their aspirations through education and alternative pathways. The Global Programme supports households in demonstrating positive attitudes, empowers girls to direct their own futures, and strengthens the services that allow them to do so, including sexual and reproductive health and social protection programmes. It also addresses the underlying conditions that sustain child marriage, advocating for laws and policies that protect girls' rights while highlighting the importance of using robust data to inform such policies.

The Global Programme is generously funded by the Governments of Canada, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom, and Zonta International.

Despite a challenging year of funding cuts, Global Programme performance in the 12 implementing countries indicates that results have largely been maintained since the launch of Phase III (2024–2030), with some areas showing evidence of scale-up in 2025. 

• In 2025, the Global Programme empowered over 7.3 million vulnerable adolescent girls (including already married and parenting 
  adolescents) through life skills and comprehensive sexuality education interventions. 
• Over 9.7 million vulnerable girls were also supported to enrol in, return to, or remain in school - a key strategy to effectively end child marriage. 
• 14,158,728 individuals participated in group education and community dialogues on the consequences of and alternatives to child marriage, girls’ rights and gender equality. 
• 2,252 and 2,013 women-led or youth-led CSOs were supported by the Global Programme financially and non-financially, respectively.
• More than 5.7 million men and boys reached globally through dialogues aimed at challenging patriarchy and promoting gender equality. 
•  Overall, more than 1.1 million local actors, including traditional, religious and community leaders, were mobilized to advocate for an end to child marriage.

“Through the life skills training, as well as the group activities with other girls, I feel I have transformed into a new person. I realized my self-worth and have better self-esteem, and I now feel that I am a person that can achieve anything in life.”  

Fatma, 17, internally displaced from Ibb, Yemen 

The Global Programme achieves results for girls by aligning key players in education, child protection, social protection, social and behaviour change, gender, health and other sectors. The Programme builds the capacities of Governments and non-government organizations while engaging with communities and partners for more harmonized action and accountability.

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Last modified July 2026