Title: Devastating Impact on Girls: Climate Change and Child Marriage Surging
Save the Children, a renowned global humanitarian organization, has released a startling report on the detrimental consequences of climate change and child marriage on girls. In light of the upcoming International Day of the Girl, the report predicts a distressing surge of 33 percent, with nearly 40 million girls exposed to this devastating convergence by 2050.
The report titled ‘Girls at the Centre of the Storm: Her Planet, Her Future, Her Solutions’ highlights the concentration of approximately two-thirds of child marriages in regions with higher-than-average climate risks. Currently, the top 10 countries identified as child-marriage-climate hotspots are home to an estimated 29.9 million adolescent girls. Alarming projections indicate that this figure will escalate to 39.9 million by 2050, posing grave challenges in nations with young and rapidly growing populations.
Bangladesh and several sub-Saharan African countries are at the epicenter of this concern, where the disastrous combination of climate crisis and child marriage has raised urgent alarms for girls’ rights. Among the heavily burdened nations are the Central African Republic, Chad, and Guinea, grappling not only with severe and frequent extreme weather events but also with conflicts, poverty, gender inequality, and hunger.
The report recounts the inspiring story of Kpemeh, a 12-year-old girl from Sierra Leone, who defied societal norms and prioritized her education to escape child marriage. Facing financial pressure exacerbated by climate-induced challenges, Kpemeh has become a resolute advocate for girls’ rights within her community.
Save the Children International’s CEO, Inger Ashing, stresses the pressing need to recognize the intersection of the climate crisis and girls’ rights. Ashing draws attention to the risks faced by girls, including sexual harassment in the aftermath of disasters and forced early marriages caused by hunger resulting from prolonged droughts. Urging immediate and effective investment in climate change adaptation, particularly prioritizing the most vulnerable children and girls, she emphasizes the transformative change needed.
The report also sheds light on the alarming levels of hunger experienced by many girls in these affected countries. It highlights a global figure of 49 million people, including girls and their families, who are teetering on the brink of starvation. Prolonged droughts and other factors, such as the Ukraine conflict, have converged to create a hunger crisis of unprecedented magnitude, hindering learning and growth.
It is crucial for governments, organizations, and individuals to address the devastating impact of climate change on girls, particularly in regions with high child marriage rates. Solutions must intertwine climate change adaptation with efforts to protect and promote girls’ rights and education. By investing in their empowerment, we can create a future where girls are not only resilient to climate-related challenges but also empowered to lead change and build a sustainable world for all.
