Understanding Child Marriage: Law and Practice

Child marriage is a global problem (Irwin, in J Adolesc Health 69(6):871–872, 2011, [28]). But what is it? ‘Child marriage’ is a term used to objectively refer to a practice involving the “legal or customary union between two people, of whom one or both spouses are below the age of 18 years” (United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Marrying too young: end child marriage. UNICEF, New York, USA, p 11, 2012, [90]). It is often synonymously referred to as ‘early’ or ‘forced’ marriage. In reality, the practice of child marriage is a fundamental violation of human rights (UNICEF 2023).