HRC62 - EU General Comment - Child, Early and Forced Marriage
UN Human Rights Council
62nd session – Item 3
L.24 – General Comment
Child, Early and Forced Marriage
EU General Comment
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union.
Child, early and forced marriage is a human rights violation that disproportionately affects women and girls around the world. More than 650 million women alive today were married before the age of 18, and it is estimated that over 100 million more girls will become child brides over the next decade if current trends continue.
Women and girls subjected to child, early and forced marriage face heightened risks of sexual and gender based violence, discrimination and abuse. This harmful practice undermines their rights, disrupts their education, limits their opportunities for economic empowerment and full, equal and meaningful participation in political, economic and social life, and has lasting consequences for their health, well-being and future.
Through the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals, the international community committed to eliminating child, early and forced marriage by 2030. While progress has been made, it remains far too slow to achieve this target. Moreover, the increase of conflict and humanitarian crises is exacerbating the drivers of child, early and forced marriage and placing more women and girls at risk. This makes the resolution before the Human Rights Council at this session all the more timely and important.
The European Union is firmly convinced that the draft resolution before us reflects the outcome of a transparent, inclusive and constructive informal negotiation process. We particularly welcome its recognition of the heightened risks of child, early and forced marriage in situations of conflict and humanitarian emergencies, as well as its emphasis on ensuring access to education, which is essential to preventing this harmful practice and advancing gender equality.
Thank you.