Child marriage, the lives of young girls and the policies to protect them

Guests: Gayle Tzemach Lemmon and Ann Warner

While some countries have passed laws against child marriage, a recent UNICEF report found that about 14 million girls under the age of 18 are still married off each year. The practice is particularly acute in countries experiencing instability caused by conflict and natural disaster. For example, child marriage among Syrian refugees in Jordan has more than doubled since the start of civil war. Child marriage leaves young girls vulnerable to serious health problems, domestic abuse and poverty and has serious implications for global development goals and U.S. foreign policy. GAYLE TZEMACH LEMMON, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and author of The Dressmaker of Khair Khana, and ANN WARNER of the International Center for Research on Women, are among the human rights activists who are examining the cultural tradition. We’ll talk to them about the plight of child brides and the work that is being done to end child marriage.