je suis une personne

In Latin America and Caribbean, 25% of girls marry or enter unions before the age of 18.*

They are more likely to experience physical, sexual, psychological and emotional abuse.

To end gender-based violence and violence against children, we need to end child, early and forced marriage and unions.

This is Valeri's** story, told in her own words.

Watch Valeri's story as an animated video or download the booklet.

This story was created with Girls Not Brides member organisation HIAS, who help forcibly displaced women and girls pursue their potential and access human rights, free from violence and oppression. They work with communities to reduce risk, increase support for those who have experienced gender-based violence and build partnerships with women-led organisations to meet the safety, health, psychosocial, legal and economic needs of women and girls, and facilitate access to appropriate care and justice.

*UNICEF child marriage database

**Name changed to protect her identity

Illustration: Girls Not Brides/Marcela Quiroz

Child marriage and violence against children

Find out more about the links between child marriage and violence against children around the world through the Girls Not Brides brief Child Marriage: A form of Violence Against Children and use the Out of the Shadows Index to explore in-depth data on child sexual abuse across 60 countries around the world.

You can find more details about the issue in Latin America and Caribbean, in the Girls Not Brides brief on Child, early and forced marriage and unions in Latin America and Caribbean.