Reducing Child Marriage in Malawi

Child marriage is a violation of human rights that occurs worldwide. An estimated 640 million women today were married as children. Child marriage can occur in countries with high poverty, deeply set cultural practices, and social expectations which young girls face with no other alternative. Malawi is a country in Southeastern Africa, a region that is home to 50 million child brides. The United Nations Population Fund of Malawi states that 47% of women in the country are married before the age of 18. However, the Marriage Act of Malawi in 2017, which protects young girls from underage marriage, was passed due to the work of civil society. The country displays hope in preventing child marriage within the country through intervention that other countries can display in efforts to solve this major human rights violation.