UNICEF reports “… And though, like Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), the tradition is slowly fading, high fertility where it is most common means absolute numbers are barely falling. Without further progress the number of former child brides will still be over 700 million in 2050… Many countries have passed laws against both practices. That is essential, but not sufficient. Both stem from deeply rooted social norms which can only be changed by educating parents about the harm they cause.

Suggestions:

“Making foreign aid conditional on results, gives governments an extra incentive not just to pass laws, but to enforce them.

“Police and women’s activists in some countries have set up phone hotlines and safe houses for victims or girls at risk.

“Most important, says Babatunde Osotimehin, the head of the UN Population Fund, is to make sure that girls go to school and finish their studies.”

See, also, sites such as shesthefirst.org, fighting gender inequality via education.