Global warming and climate change are happening at an unprecedented rate. Women and girls are especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change, which can include poverty, displacement, and lack of education. These all relate to, and can exacerbate, gender inequality. According to the Global Climate Risk Index, some of the countries most affected by climate change are Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi; all of which have astounding rates of child marriage. In these countries, 53 percent, 34 percent, and 42 percent (respectively) of girls are married before they turn age 18, often bearing children in their early teens.
Every day, 39,000 girls become child brides, totaling more than 14 million child brides around the world each year. UNICEF predicts that by 2050, the total number of child brides in Africa, the continent most impacted by climate change, could double to 310 million.