Every year, millions of girls, some as young as age nine, are forced into mar...

“Every year, millions of girls, some as young as age nine, are forced into marriage. Since I began these remarks, 100 children have been forced into marriage; 1,100 per hour; more than 26,000 per day. The effects of early forced marriage are documented and beyond dispute. Early forced marriage harms health, halts education, destroys opportunity and enslaves young women in a life of poverty. A young woman once recounted her wedding date. She remembered, "It was the day I left school." No country is immune from this scourge. This is a global problem. A problem for humanity."