Children Not Brides Child marriage is an insidious and threatening practice that can deprive young, promising girls of future opportunities and could be potentially harmful to their health. A child bride is defined as a girl under the age of 18 who is forced into marriage. Child marriage is a global problem that cuts across countries, cultures, religions and ethnicities. Child brides are found in every region of the world, from the Middle East to Latin America, from South Asia to Europe. This policy should be enforced and stopped because it constitutes a violation of girls' rights as human beings. It has been proven that girls who marry young are involved in an abusive relationship with their husbands. Only a small number of countries have specifically criminalized this policy and as a result child marriage continues. Child marriage worldwide should be abolished because young women are exposed to infant mortality and sexual and domestic violence by their husbands due to their lack of influence over marriage. Child marriage occurs more often in poor, rural communities and uneducated families. In most countries, the daughter's family arranges the marriage without her knowledge. An example of this would be that one day a girl might continue her daily lifestyle and the next day she might get married and live in another village with her husband and family. In countries that do not have specific laws, criminal offenses that fall under forced marriage may sometimes be applied to punish offenders. Even when nations accept such provisions, the practice of child marriage persists. It is vital that an effort is made to put an end to this dangerous practice... middle of paper... families impact the marriage of their daughters, they are an essential part in the solution to change marriage policy. The policy of early marriage is seen as a violation of human rights and free will, thus supporting the statement “Marriage shall be contracted only with the free and full consent of the intended spouses” (Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948). It affects these girls' right to education, health and equality. In some cases, child marriage is considered slavery because these women are bought and sold for sexual exploitation. Supporting organizations like the International Center for Research on Unmarried Women and Girls can help put an end to this policy. These organizations are giving women a voice because they want to raise awareness about what similar events are happening globally.