more prosperous world, right? To see real change,

with equality and opportunity for all. We've made progress,

but change isn't happening fast enough. We're leaving behind too many girls.

We're leaving behind child brides. Child marriage

isn't just a problem for girls; it's a problem for everyone.

It undermines our efforts to tackle issues like poverty

education and health. Here's how...

Child brides, sometimes as young as 8 or 9, have no say in when or whom they marry.

They usually drop out of school and miss out on the opportunities they need to thrive

trapping them their families and communities in a cycle of poverty.

Child brides aren't ready to become wives and mothers.

They are still growing, so they face dangerous complications

even death, in pregnancy and childbirth. And their children

are less likely to live beyond their first birthday.

They are thrown into relationships where they have no control,

putting them at greater risk of domestic violence and sexually transmitted diseases.

Every year fourteen million girls become child brides

across countries, cultures and religions.

The stakes are too high for us to ignore this problem.

We can end child marriage. But we have to work together.

We need all those who play a role in girls' lives

-- parents, teachers, health workers, community and religious leaders --

to understand the benefits of ending child marriage,

that it's not just positive for girls, but their families and communities too.

Change will happen village by village,

town by town, but we also need national and international action.

Laws that set a minimum age for marriage; programmes that invest in girls, enabling them

to make choices,

to go to safe, accessible schools,

and earn an income.

We must register girls at birth; raise awareness; and support young people

to become activists for change.

We all have a part to play in building a safer, healthier

and more prosperous world. But to get there,

we can't leave anyone behind.

Join the movement to end child marriage.