Over the next ten years, more than 100 million girls in developing countries will be forced to marry a complete stranger. All will be kicked out of their homes, afraid and unaware of the life they will be placed into. They will not only have to leave behind their loved ones, but also their humanity. If laws were enforced to prohibit this life for young girls, as some countries have done, many people would simply ignore them. Although the effects of child marriage cause abuse, unwanted pregnancies and lack of education, religion and poverty among people in developing countries make it difficult for organizations or rebellions to make a difference. difference. The effects of forced child marriage should be taken into account. enough to dissuade countries from implementing it, even if this is not the case. Girls around the world, especially in South America and India, have had to face the difficulty of living in a violent and abusive home, far from their families. Girls Not Brides, an organization against child marriage, states that “child marriage places women and girls at particular risk of sexual, physical and psychological violence throughout their lives” (girlsnotbrides.org). The United Nations Population Fund also states that “women who marry younger are more likely to be beaten and to believe their husbands can justify it” (“Marrying Too Young,” 2012). Additionally, girls are also victims of rape; 81% of married children surveyed in Ethiopia described their sexual initiation as forced, and girls married before the age of 18 are more likely to experience domestic violence than their unmarried peers. Due to gender inequality, girls are generally seen as weaker and the property of their husbands, so abuse and rape were not considered...... middle of paper ... ...k education, child marriage has hampered their chance for a bright future. Even knowing this, the journey to ending it for good has been hampered by religion and devastating poverty, making real action on it difficult. Works Cited Alyanak, Oguz. “The Inconvenient Truth About Child Marriages.” Open Democracy. Attribution Creative Commons, 2009. Web. May 21, 2014. Lee, Brianna. “Child marriage.” Council on Foreign Relations. Council on Foreign Relations, 2013. Web May 21, 2014. “Early and Forced Marriage – Facts, Figures and What You Can Do.” » Early and forced marriage. United Nations Population Fund, 2012. Web. May 20, 2014. “Education – Girls, Not Brides.” Daughters, not wives. Girls, Not Brides, 2002 - 2014. Web. May 21, 2014. “Girl Safety – Girls, Not Wives.” » Daughters, not wives. Girls, Not Brides, 2002 - 2014. Web. May 21 2014.