African leaders join forces in pledge to stamp out child marriage – Reuters

 African political leaders, activists, and local chiefs joined forces on Monday to commit to ending child marriage in West and Central Africa, the region with the highest child marriage rate in the world.

More than a third of girls in the region are married under the age of 18, with the rate over 50 percent in six countries and up to 76 percent in Niger.

Driven by factors including poverty, insecurity and religious tradition, marrying off girls once they reach puberty or even before is a deeply engrained social custom in much of West and Central Africa.

Read more here: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-africa-rights-childmarriage/african-leaders-join-forces-in-pledge-to-stamp-out-child-marriage-idUSKBN1CS24K