What happened
The 2026 International Day of the Girl Child campaign has focused on ending child marriage and increasing investment in girls’ rights. It points to an estimated 68 million child marriages avoided during the past 25 years through education spending, legal reforms and social protection.
The campaign highlights the continuing scale of the issue. More than 12 million girls are married before reaching adulthood each year. Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest prevalence of child marriage, at 31%.
The United Nations General Assembly designated 11 October as the International Day of the Girl Child in 2011 to recognise girls’ rights and draw attention to the challenges they face.
Why it matters
Child marriage can limit girls’ access to schooling, healthcare and protection services, while increasing the risk of isolation, depression and emotional distress. The campaign calls on governments to keep girls in school, widen access to health, safeguarding and social services, and work with families and communities.
For decision-makers in Türkiye and the EU, the material does not specify country-level targets, legal requirements or funding measures. Its policy message is that rights-based investment, legal reform and social protection are linked to lower child-marriage rates.
Background
UN Women data cited in the material indicate that 133 million girls are currently outside formal education worldwide. Girls aged 15 to 19 are more likely than boys of the same age to be outside education, employment or training. Around four in ten adolescent girls do not complete upper secondary education.
The material also states that no country with available data has met even half of the targets considered critical to adolescent girls’ wellbeing, with four years remaining until the end of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.
What's next
The campaign calls for sustained action on education, health, protection and social services, alongside support for girls’ leadership. It frames these measures as necessary to reduce child marriage and strengthen girls’ ability to make decisions about their own futures.
