A new study from the U.N.'s children's fund (UNICEF) on African child brides has found a very disturbing possibility. If slow rates of reduction and increased population growth continues in the region, the total number of child marriages might rise from 125 million today to 350 million by 2050, according to BBC News.
The results of the study have found that currently, more than one in three girls are being married off before the age of 18. The practice is very prevalent among poor, rural communities in a vast belt across Africa, from Somalia in the east and Guinea in the west.
A series of religious and cultural practices, as well as an extremely limited amount of economic options, are pointed out as the main driver of child marriages in the region. Manuel Fontaine, UNICEF's Regional Director for West and Central Africa, believes that the practice harms the region's girls in general, reported CNN.
"When you look at the projected numbers, it is particularly alarming to us because we know the impact on a girl who gets married before the age of 18, the impact on her health, the impact on education, the impact on the whole country," he said.
The battle against child marriages has already been initiated, with the African Union (AU) launching a campaign to combat the practice earlier this year. However, the fight against the practice has proven to be challenging, especially since a huge part of the tradition is rooted in the region's culture.
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