Child marriages to cost developing countries trillions of dollars
SOCIAL
By Zhao Hong

2017-06-28 08:00 GMT+8

By CGTN's Jerry Owilli

Child marriages will cost developing countries trillions of dollars over the next decade, greatly affecting global efforts to eradicate poverty, the World Bank has warned.

According to experts, about one in every three girls in the developing world is married before the age of 18, with one girl married off every two seconds.

The World Bank said that the eradication of child marriages would slow down population growth while boosting the educational achievements of girls, ultimately increasing their earnings.

Bringing this practice to an end would also enable women have healthier and better educated children, further boosting prosperity.

A girl dressing in a white wedding gown during an event to denounce child marriage, October 27, 2016 in Rome. /VCG Photo

"Child marriage not only puts a stop to girls' hopes and dreams, it also hampers efforts to end poverty and achieve economic growth and equity," World Bank economist Quentin Wodon said in a statement.

"Ending this practice is not only the morally right thing to do but also the economically smart thing to do," added Wodon, who co-authored the report, which is the first to look at the economic impact of child marriage.

One of the biggest economic benefits of ending child marriage would derive from a reduction in population growth, according to the study co-authored by the International Center for Research on Women.

Syrian refugee Omayma al Hushan, 14, who launched an initiative against child marriage among Syrian refugees, poses with her favorite toy at her residence in Al Zaatari refugee camp in the Jordanian city of Mafraq, near the border with Syria, April 21, 2016. /VCG Photo

Girls who marry young have more children on average than those who delay marriage.

Last week, Tanzania's President John Magufuli said schoolgirls who get pregnant would not be allowed to continue with their education, saying they were a bad influence to the other students.

His stance was met with condemnation at home and abroad, with opponents stressing that education is every girl's right.

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