Ending child marriage is one of the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Yet the phenomenon is regressing too slowly on a global scale. In sub-Saharan Africa, early marriages are even on the rise, deplores the United Nations Children’s Fund. Because it is a practice today closely linked to the physical and economic insecurity of populations on the continent.
Sub-Saharan Africa is the only region on the planet where child marriage continues to rise. In 1997, 15% of women aged 20 to 24 had been married before the age of 18 years old, they are 35% today and their proportion could, according to UNICEF, increase to 41% in 2030.
The only progress made has been recorded among the wealthiest African families. Among the poorest, the prevalence rate of child marriage rose from 50% to 60%.
Several crises are affecting the continent as a result of population growth. There is a weakening of families as a result of conflict and climatic disturbances. They marry off their daughters as soon as possible in order to protect them from physical and economic insecurity.
In Ethiopia, child marriages declined until 2016. A year of conflict caused a setback of four years. Similarly, each variation of 10% in precipitation, more or less, causes an increase in early marriages of 1%.