Unicef red flags spike in child marriages

EARLY child marriages have reportedly shot to alarming levels across the country since the imposition of COVID-19-induced lockdowns from March last year,  with civil society groups demanding an urgent end to the vice.

A recent survey by the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) has also indicated a sharp increase in child marriages globally, with 14 million underage girls married off each year.

“Child marriage is globally recognised as a violation of the rights of the child and a risk factor for violence against children,” Unicef said on its Twitter handle.

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