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On 22nd July, the UK Government and UNICEF are hosting The Girl Summit to rally a global movement aimed at ending two of the greatest abuses facing girls across the world today.
Putting a stop to child, early and forced marriage as well as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is the focus of the Summit. Achieving this would help preserve girls' childhoods, promote their education, reduce their exposure to violence and abuse, and allow them to fulfil their potential in life.
The terrible truth is that child, early and forced marriage affects millions of girls every year. One in three girls in developing countries is married by the age of 18. Some are as young as eight. Girls who marry young have babies while still children, putting them at risk of death or suffering for the rest of their lives. They are more likely to be poor and stay poor.
In the UK alone, hundreds of girls risk being forced into marriage, violating their human rights. And those at risk suffer physical, psychological, emotional, financial and sexual abuse.
Added to that, female genital mutilation (FGM) removes a girl's right to have control over her own body. Traditionally considered essential for marriage and inclusion in the community, it is an extreme and violent way in which girls are controlled and disempowered. It can result in a lifetime of pain and difficulty in childbirth. Trends suggest at least 30 million girls will be at risk over the next decade - with more than 20,000 at risk in the UK every year.
Comic Relief is backing The Girls Summit and all that it hopes to achieve.
Find out more(opens in new window) about how you can be involved and pledge your support.
